Drip-retaining collar for a bottle

Abstract

The invention provides a drip-retaining collar for catching and retaining drips from a bottle, the collar being configured to sit about a neck or shoulder of the bottle and having a radially inwardly facing edge for contacting the neck or shoulder so as to halt the flow of drips down the neck or shoulder; wherein the collar is integrally moulded from a plastics material and has an annular drip-collecting trough disposed radially outwardly of the said radially inwardly facing edge, and wherein the annular trough is partitioned into compartments, each compartment being of such a size and configuration that it can retain drip liquid collected therein when the collar is inverted.

1 . A drip-retaining collar for a bottle, the collar being configured to sit about a neck of the bottle and comprising an annular drip-collecting trough which is arranged to collect drips running down the neck of the bottle, wherein the annular trough is partitioned into compartments, each compartment being of such a size and configuration that it can retain drip liquid collected therein when the collar is inverted. 
     
     
         2 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 1 , which has a radially inwardly facing edge for contacting the neck of the bottle so as to halt the flow of drips down the neck, wherein the annular drip-collecting trough is disposed radially outwardly of the said radially inwardly facing edge. 
     
     
         19 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 18 , wherein the radially inwardly facing edge is provided by a flexible annular flange which extends radially inwardly from the trough and serves in use to direct drips into the trough. 
     
     
         20 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 19 , wherein the flexible annular flange has one or more discontinuities around its circumference such that it is divided into a plurality of segments, and wherein the discontinuities are sufficiently small that drips do not pass through. 
     
     
         21 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 1 , wherein at least part of the annular flexible flange is inclined upwardly so that, in use, it directs drip liquid into the annular trough. 
     
     
         22 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 1 , wherein the collar is moulded from a plastics material. 
     
     
         23 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 22 , wherein the collar is formed from a single moulding. 
     
     
         24 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 1 , wherein the annular trough is divided into a single row of compartments extending around its circumference. 
     
     
         25 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 1 , wherein there are at least 30 compartments. 
     
     
         26 . A drip retaining collar according to  claim 25 , wherein there are at least 34 compartments. 
     
     
         27 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 1 , having a downwardly depending portion in the form of a skirt which is flared outwardly at or towards a lower end thereof. 
     
     
         28 . A drip retaining collar according to  claim 27 , wherein the skirt carries printed material. 
     
     
         29 . A drip retaining collar according to  claim 28 , wherein the skirt carries one or more printed labels. 
     
     
         30 . A drip retaining collar according to  claim 29 , wherein a label is integrally moulded into the skirt. 
     
     
         31 . A drip-retaining collar according to  claim 29 , wherein the skirt has inner and outer labels, the outer label being constructed so as to be removable to reveal the inner label. 
     
     
         32 . A product comprising a bottle having mounted thereon a drip-retaining collar as defined in  claim 1 .