AU767559B2

AU767559B2 - Shield for use with a bottle

Info

Publication number: AU767559B2
Application number: AU22196/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David W. Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-01-04
Filing date: 1999-12-29
Publication date: 2003-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2019-12-29
Also published as: GB0118891D0; WO2000040474A1; AU2219600A; GB2363788A; CA2359656C; GB2363788B; NZ513382A; CA2359656A1

Description

*1PCT/S 9 9,/,112 1 02 AUG 2000 -SLEEVE-FOR USE WITH A BOTTLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to shielding water bottles of the type normnally three to five gallons capacity which are placed in inverted fashion over a water dispenser in offices, factories, homes, restaurants, and other locations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is for use with water bottles that are normally prized by the manufacturers based upon the cleanliness and purity of the water which they contain. After the bottle is filled, a cap is applied to it, and the contents sanitarily sealed.

Totally overlooked by the industry and, indeed, the consumer, is the storage location and transportation of the bottles after they leave the sanitary cocoon of the manufacturing facilities. Many time the bottles are shipped in open trucks, palletized, and even stored, outside. When stored outside, of course, they are subject to whatever particulate contaminants are in the air including bugs, bird droppings, road dust, industrial contaminants, and a whole host of unimaginable undesirables.

Moreover, when the bottles are stored they invariably are stored with the cap up.

The area below the cap and the shoulder are the very areas which, when the bottle is inverted for use in the water dispenser, come in contact with the upper cup of the dispenser and its insides. As a result, the contamination which befalls the bottle after it leaves the sanitary botting works is all on the very area which is exposed to the dispenser and its cup and dispenses directly into the stream for the unwitting user. The contaminants can be loosened by the handling while inverted, and indeed, if the bottle is dropped in inverted fashion into the dispenser the impact will serve to dislodge even more of the contamination. Even the contamination which is encapsulated between the shoulder of the bottle and the cup of the dispenser while dispensing one bottle, may be loosened before the second, third, or fourth bottle is inserted into the dispenser, and thus assuring even more contamination of the contents of the solution. Moreover, a full water bottle,

MEET

2 once inverted, splashes water within the dispenser reservoir, further increasing the risk of flushing contaminants into the fresh water stream.

In view of the foregoing, it is thus desirable to provide a sanitary protective sleeve to the upper portion of a water bottle which shields the same from contamination while being transported and stored.

It is also desirable to provide such a sanitary sleeve for a water bottle which is not only easily applied to the bottle, firmly attached to the bottle, but also easily removable at the site of installation of the bottle to the dispenser.

It is also desirable to provide a sanitary upper sleeve for a water bottle which is relatively inexpensive compared to the total cost of the bottle and susceptible of alternative constructions and applications to the bottle.

It is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the prior art disadvantages or to achieve at least one of the above desires.

Summary of the Invention In one aspect, the present invention provides a sleeve and water bottle combination for use in protecting the upper portion of said water bottle by said sleeve, said upper portion of said water bottle comprising a cap, a neck, an upper portion shoulder, and said water bottle further comprising a plurality of ribs beneath the upper 20 portion and wherein said upper portion, and particularly said upper portion shoulder, may i be exposed to precipitates and other contamination, wherein: said sleeve conforms to the exterior configuration of the upper portion of the water bottle, said sleeve comprising a neck portion, shoulder portion, cap portion, and a shoulder covering portion, the entirety of said sleeve, including the neck portion, shoulder portion, cap portion and shoulder covering portion being imperforate to thereby prevent openings for dirty contaminants to pass through the sleeve and on to the upper portion of the water bottle, said sleeve is heat-shrinkingly secured to the upper portion of the bottle in skinoo 30 tight relationship so as to cover the upper portion shoulder of the bottle, and said sleeve is anchored in place by engaging at least one body rib through peripheral gripping means.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for securing the sanitary transportation, storage, or installation of a water bottle having a cap, a neck, a [R:\LIBLL]14791 .doc:FDP generally cylindrical body, and a shoulder portion transitioning from the body portion to the neck portion, said body portion having sleeve engaging means, comprising the steps of, providing an imperforate sleeve having a bell-shaped body portion proportioned to overlie the shoulder of the bottle body and extend beyond where the shoulder joins thebody of the bottle, said body having sleeve engaging means around itself, and a neck and top portion which generally conform to the silhouette of the bottle to be secured, overlying said imperforate sleeve on the bottle after the bottle has been filled, conforming said sleeve by heat-shrinking at over 350F (176.6°C) to a skin-tight 1o aerobic relationship to said bottle, and removing the imperforate sleeve from the bottle at the use site to thereby remove undesirable contaminants which have become attached to the protective sleeve while the bottle is being transported, stored, or otherwise handled prior to installation.

In another aspect the present invention provides an imperforate sanitary sleeve combined with a bottle in which the imperforate sleeve is used in covering the neck, shoulder, and cap portion of a water bottle, wherein said neck, shoulder, and cap portions may be exposed to contamination, and wherein said sanitary sleeve is placed upon said water bottle after said water bottle has been filled, said sleeve having a plurality of portions, said plurality of portions comprising a 20 body portion having peripheral grip means, a bottle engaging shoulder portion, a neck portion, a cap portion, said plurality of portions all conforming to the exterior configuration of the bottle, and some or all of said plurality of portions covering the i shoulder of the bottle, said sleeve being secured to the bottle in skin tight relationship to cover the neck, shoulder, and the cap portion of the bottle through peripheral gripping means.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a water bottle and imperforate sanitary sleeve combination comprising, in combination; said water bottle having a body with a cap, neck, shoulder, body portion, sleeve gripping means on said body portion, and a bottom; 30 said imperforate sleeve having a body with a neck portion, shoulder portion, cap ,•or portion, and a shoulder covering portion, all conforming to the exterior configuration of the bottle; said imperforate sleeve being secured to the bottle in skin-tight relationship to cover the shoulder of the upper portion of the bottle which may be exposed to contamination.

[R:\LIBLL] 14791 .doc:FDP In another aspect, the present invention provides in combination, heat-shrinkable imperforate sleeve for use in covering a water bottle, and a water bottle which water bottle has a cap, a neck, a shoulder, and a plurality of ribs beneath the shoulder portion, said imperforate sleeve having a body with a neck portion, shoulder portion, cap portion and shoulder covering portion, all conforming to the exterior configuration of the bottle, said imperforate sleeve being secured to the bottle by heat-shrinking at an elevated temperature exceeding 212 0 F (100 0 C) in skin-tight relationship to cover the shoulder of the upper portion of the body of said bottle which is exposed to l0 contamination, and anchored in place by peripheral gripping means.

In another aspect, the present invention provides in combination, heat-shrinkable imperforate sleeve for use with a water bottle, and a water bottle, said water bottle having a cap, a neck, a shoulder, as well as a bottle with a general body, said imperforate sleeve having an imperforate neck portion, an imperforate shoulder portion, an imperforate cap portion and an imperforate shoulder covering portion, all conforming to the exterior configuration of the bottle, said imperforate sleeve being secured to said bottle in heat-shrink skin-tight relationship so as to cover the shoulder of the upper portion of the bottle which is exposed to contamination when the bottle is transported from the filling facility to the place of 20 utilization.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for securing the S sanitary transportation, storage, or installation of a water bottle having a cap, a neck, a ".:generally cylindrical body, sleeve gripping means and the body, and a shoulder portion transitioning from the body portion to the neck portion, comprising the steps of, proving an imperforate sleeve having a bell-shaped body portion proportioned to overlie the shoulder of the bottle body and extend to where the shoulder joins the body of the bottle, and a neck and top portion which generally conform to the silhouette of the •bottle to be secured, °.overlying said imperforate sleeve on the bottle, and sleeve gripping means, after 30 the bottle has been filled, o conforming said imperforate sleeve to a skin-tight relationship to said bottle by heat-shrinking the same at a temperature exceeding 212 0 F (100 0 and [R:\LIBLL] 14791 .doc:FDP removing the imperforate sleeve from the bottle at the use site to thereby remove undesirable contaminants which have become attached to the protective sleeve while the bottle is being transported, stored, or otherwise handled prior to installation.

The present invention stems from the discovery that a disposal sleeve or shield can be applied to a water bottle before leaving the filling source, heat-shrunk or otherwise caused to take the configuration of the upper portion of the bottle including the cap, and shoulder, and anchor the same to the bottle. Optionally the cover which has a neck, shoulder, and body portion to conform to the bottle can be provided with a removal tab upper portion. The sleeve is advantageously secured to the bottle in an intimate skin-toskin relationship which thereby shields the upper portion of the bottle from contamination wherever it may be prior to use. Because the heat-shrink occurs at elevated temperatures of 350F (176.6 0 C) or more, bacteria are killed in the process.

The preferred method of the invention resides in heat-shrinking or other wise securing a protective sleeve over the top of a water bottle. This is accomplished by forming a tube of a diameter larger than the bottle, cutting and forming the sleeve, positioning over the bottle neck and shoulder, and then heat-shrinking at a temperature exceeding that of boiling water. Thereafter, in accordance with the method, the sleeve is removed prior to emptying the bottle, the bottle then uncapped, and then secured to the cooler. The body of the sleeve is desirably removed before the bottle cap is removed.

20 What is important, however, is to physically observe the removal of the sleeve to the end S•that the contamination which may have adhered to the outer portion of the sleeve is oo••t discarded rather than being permitted to engage any portion of the water bottle or the dispenser.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention extend the sanitary processing of the water in the bottle by applying the sleeve to the upper portion of the bottle which, because it is heat-shrunk onto the bottle at a temperature exceed 350F (176.6 0 will further ensure the inhibition of residual bacterial activity on the exterior portion of the •bottle adjacent the area from which the water will be dispensed. A correlative advantage results from using an air impervious material to thereby kill any aerobic bacteria, or alternatively inhibit the passage of same to the inner face between the sleeve and the o. bottle itself.

[R:\LIBLL] 14791 .doc:FDP Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of examples only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a typical three to five gallon water bottle for use on a dispenser; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the bottle, bottle cap, and importantly the sanitary sleeve of the subject invention; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section, in enlarged scale, taken along section line 3-3 of fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the sanitary sleeve; Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section view of the sleeve shown in fig. 4 taken along section line 5-5 of fig. 4; Fig. 6 discloses an alternative embodiment of the cover illustrating a tab for Is removing the same; Fig. 7 shows the removal of the sanitary cover without a tear tab or line of weakness by pulling it off of a top of a bottle, much in the same fashion as one would remove a sock; and Fig. 8 is yet another alternative embodiment showing lifting the sanitary sleeve 20 Off utilizing an optional tear tab and also an optional line of weakness; Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of a tube being fed onto a conveyor line for subsequent forming into the sleeve for the bottle; Fig. 10 is a sequential view from fig. 9, showing how the sleeve is cut to remove a portion leaving the blank remaining for placing over the bottle; oo °o o• oo o [R:\LIBLL] 14791 .doc:FDP IPEP0-2 'AUG 2000 -4 FIG. 11 is yet a sequential view showing the sleeve over the bottle loose fittingly engaging the same; and FIG. 12 is a final diagrammatic view of the bottle being passed through a heat chamber which will cause the sleeve, at an elevated temperature of 350*F desirably, to shrink itself onto the bottle and at the same time sterilize from bacteria and subsequently shield against the growth of aerobic bacteria which may be trapped between the sleeve and the bottle.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED

EMBODIMENT

The invention is best described in its environment of a water bottle 10, such as shown in FIG. The bottle invariably has a cap I11 which is press fitted to the bottle neck 12.

Beneath the neck 12 is a shoulder 14 followed by a barrel-shaped bottle body portion having a )plurality of ribs such as ribs 15 and 16. The upper rib 15 be comes the important part of the anchor for the sanitary sleeve 20 of the present invention. The bottle bottom 18 is at the opposite end of the application of the sanitary sleeve. Normally the bottle is provided with a tab 19 an the cap 11 for the removal of the bottle cap. The sequential relationship between the bottle 10, the bottle cap 11, and the sanitary sleeve 20 is shown in FIG. 2.

Turning now to FIG. 3, in enlarged detail it will be seen that the sleeve 20 has been secured over the upper portion of the bottle 10 to follow the contour of the cap 11, the neck 12.

the shoulder 14 and to engage itself in a skirt-like gripping relationship to the upper rib 15 of the bottle 10. This skirt like gripping form of sleeve 20 forms a peripheral gripping means to anchor the sleeve into place.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sleeve 20 has a top portion 21 and a bottom portion 22 with a bell-shaped seam 24 joining two opposed sheets of material as shown in FIG. 5 defining an interior portion 29. The front 26 and rear 28 are shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 4 further shows the sleeve 20 to have a cap portion 36, neck portion 37, shoulder portion 38 and shoulder covering portion 39.

In FIG. 6 there is a showing of the sleeve 20 with a tear-line 30, and an optional tab 31 thus defining a removable cover 32 as shown in FIG. 8. Particularly as shown in FIG. 7, it will be appreciated that desirably the lower portion may be removed before the upper portion of the sleeve to thereby isolate the bulk of the contaminants from the bottle top before the bottle cap 11 is removed. As shown in FIG. 7, the simplest approach to the removal of the sanitary sleeve 20 is to grasp it at the bottom edge 22, and remove the same from the upper portion of the bottle in much the same fashion as removing a sock from the foot. FIG. 8 shows yet another PCT/US 99 1 12 1 IPE a2 AUG 2000 alternative embodiment in which optionally either a tab 31 is provided at the upper portion of the sleeve 20, or a line of weakness 30Ois provided along a vertical edge. In either event, the thrust of the invention is directed to totally encapsulating the upper portion of the bottle 10 with a removable sleeve 20, with variations as to how the same is applied and as to how the same is removed.

The material employed for the sanitary sleeve 20 is desirably heat-shrinkable, compatible with food and drug regulations, tough and durable to withstand the type of handling that the water bottle 10 will have. Such a material is exemplified by the DuPont product known as Clysar which is a shrink package film. It is available in gages 60, 75, 100, 125 and 150, either flat orfolded. More specifically, it is described as strong, clear, biatxially oriented, heat-shrinkable, and comprised of a linear low density polyolefin film. The product can be obtained from the DuPont packaging group at 1007 Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19898.

Plastics recommended for use are the following: 1) Rigid Plastics can be: a. extruded b. molded C. vacuum-formed.

2) Semi-Rigid Plastics can be: a. wax or wax based products b. spray base application.

3) Flexible Plastics can be: a. stretch saran factor elastic latex C. heat-shrink polyolefin, PVC film of 1 mil. (.025 gauge), LD HD polyethylene other latex, petroleum, polymer, resin, natural, organic or synthetic based materials commonly referred to as "plastics".

The dwell time in the heat-shrink area is 3-5 seconds at 350-400*F.

Exemplary of the bottles are the Reid "Aqua-Lite" round water bottles. They come primarily in three and five gallon capacities. More particularly, they have protruding ribs encircling the body portion. Alternatively, the rib 15 may be concavely formed in the bottle such as rib as shown in FIG. 7. In either event, the important aspect of use is to heat-shrink the lower edge 22 of the sanitary sleeve 20 onto a depression formed either by a concave rib or the bottom of a protruding rib of the bottle

MSHE

PCT/US 9 9/31 12 1 P S.O2 AUG 2000 -6- The method of the invention contemplates primarily developing a sleeve 20 for encapsulating the upper portion of a water bottle 10 which is proportioned so that its lower edge is anchored by being shrunk into a depression associated with the first rib 15 of the bottle. After the sleeve 20 is placed over the bottle, it is heat-shrunk or otherwise shrunk to conform in a skintight relationship to the bottle essentially as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. Thereafter, the method contemplates the step of removing the sleeve cover and the sleeve body portion from the bottle prior to inverting the bottle over the dispenser where employed. Desirably, the sleeve 20 should be wiped with a damp cloth or other cleansing technique prior to being removed to thereby further ensure that the handler of the bottle does not indulge in cross-contamination.

In more specific detail the method contemplates the use of a pair of opposed sheets of DuPont Clysar, or alternatively a tube 35, the diameter of which exceeds the bottle 10, a distance sufficient to permit the same to be shaped into a circular form and dropped over the bottle, such as shown in FIG. 9. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10, the tubular form is cut at its upper comers in order to develop a smaller area to pass over the neck and the cap of the bottle.

As shown in FIG. 11, the sleeve is then dropped over the bottle totally surrounding the same and dropping below the shoulder portion of the bottle, with the neck of the sleeve resting atop the bottle cap. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12, the bottle is passed into a heat tunnel desirably held at a temperature of 350°F. At this time, optionally blowers are provided to heat the sleeve portion to a temperature elevated from that of the ambient in the tunnel. The curing time for the material to shrink into a skin-type relationship is approximately 3-5 seconds. This dwell time does not significantly increase the temperature of the contents of the bottle, but is rather concentrated on the sleeve to promote its shrinkage. Optionally, ultra-violet and/or infared may be applied to the material, depending upon its characteristics and shrink promoting properties.

Once the bottle is removed from the heating area, it is then passed on in traditional fashion for transport to the customer.

Alternatives of the method are contemplated, but basic to the method is heatshrinking the sleeve into place for the insurance of a skin-tight fit, and the application of a temperature which will enhance the sterile relationship between the inside of the sleeve and the upper portion of the bottle. An alternative includes the preforming of the sleeve by a hot knife application to two sheets of the material. In addition, a tubular form of the material can be heated at the upper area and stretched which thereby reduces the neck portion for conformance to the neck of the bottle.

WO 00/40474 PCT/US99/31121 -7- Alternatives are also contemplated including an under-sized sleeve 20 which is expanded with pure or inert air or otherwise expanded prior to pulling over the bottle 10 and then conforming to the shape of the bottle as the opening force is relaxed.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sleeve and water bottle combination for use in protecting the upper portion of said water bottle by said sleeve, said upper portion of said water bottle comprising a cap, a neck, an upper portion shoulder, and said water bottle further comprising a plurality of ribs beneath the upper portion and wherein said upper portion, and particularly said upper portion shoulder, may be exposed to precipitates and other contamination, wherein: said sleeve conforms to the exterior configuration of the upper portion of the water bottle, said sleeve comprising a neck portion, shoulder portion, cap portion, and a lo shoulder covering portion, the entirety of said sleeve, including the neck portion, shoulder portion, cap portion and shoulder covering portion being imperforate to thereby prevent openings for dirty contaminants to pass through the sleeve and on to the upper portion of the water bottle, said sleeve is heat-shrinkingly secured to the upper portion of the bottle in skin- tight relationship so as to cover the upper portion shoulder of the bottle, and said sleeve is anchored in place by engaging at least one body rib through peripheral gripping means.

2. The imperforate sleeve and water bottle combination of claim 1, 20 wherein said sleeve is shrunk at its lower extremity to conform to an upper rib of the bottle, and wherein said sleeve is shrunk by applying a temperature exceeding that of ooo boiling water to kill numerous bacteria. o. 3. The imperforate sleeve and water bottle combination of claim 1, further including a line of weakness from a bottom edge to a top edge of the cover, said line of weakness used to assist in removing the neck, shoulder and portions of the sleeve from the water bottle prior to usage.

4. The imperforate sleeve and water bottle combination of claim 1, further •including a tab positioned atop the cap portion of the sleeve and adjacent to a tear line.

5. A method for securing the sanitary transportation, storage, or 00 30 installation of a water bottle having a cap, a neck, a generally cylindrical body, and a shoulder portion transitioning from the body portion to the neck portion, said body "portion having sleeve engaging means, comprising the steps of, providing an imperforate sleeve having a bell-shaped body portion proportioned to overlie the shoulder of the bottle body and extend beyond where the shoulder joins the [R:\LIBLL] 14791.doc:FDP body of the bottle, said body having sleeve engaging means around itself, and a neck and top portion which generally conform to the silhouette of the bottle to be secured, overlying said imperforate sleeve on the bottle after the bottle has been filled, conforming said sleeve by heat-shrinking at over 350F (176.6 0 C) to a skin-tight s aerobic relationship to said bottle, and removing the imperforate sleeve from the bottle at the use site to thereby remove undesirable contaminants which have become attached to the protective sleeve while the bottle is being transported, stored, or otherwise handled prior to installation.

6. The method of claim 5, further including proportioning the imperforate sleeve to engage a circumferential rib of the bottle.

7. An imperforate sanitary sleeve combined with a bottle in which the imperforate sleeve is used in covering the neck, shoulder, and cap portion of a water bottle, wherein said neck, shoulder, and cap portions may be exposed to contamination, and wherein said sanitary sleeve is placed upon said water bottle after said water bottle has been filled, said sleeve having a plurality of portions, said plurality of portions comprising a body portion having peripheral grip means, a bottle engaging shoulder portion, a neck portion, a cap portion, said plurality of portions all conforming to the exterior configuration of the bottle, and some or all of said plurality of portions covering the 20 shoulder of the bottle, said sleeve being secured to the bottle in skin tight relationship to cover the neck, ooooo3 shoulder, and the cap portion of the bottle through peripheral gripping means.

8. The imperforate sanitary sleeve and bottle combination of claim 7, said sleeve being proportioned to shrink throughout its configuration to conform to the bottle shoulder.

9. A water bottle and imperforate sanitary sleeve combination comprising, in combination; said water bottle having a body with a cap, neck, shoulder, body portion, sleeve Dos gripping means on said body portion, and a bottom; said imperforate sleeve having a body with a neck portion, shoulder portion, cap portion, and a shoulder covering portion, all conforming to the exterior configuration of •ooo the bottle; said imperforate sleeve being secured to the bottle in skin-tight relationship to cover the shoulder of the upper portion of the bottle which may be exposed to contamination. [R:\LIBLL] 14791.doc:FDP The bottle and imperforate sleeve according to claim 9, wherein said bottle has a rib portion beneath the shoulder portion, said imperforate sleeve at its lower portion is anchored in place by engaging an indentation associated with said bottle rib through peripheral gripping means.

11. In combination, heat-shrinkable imperforate sleeve for use in covering a water bottle, and a water bottle which water bottle has a cap, a neck, a shoulder, and a plurality of ribs beneath the shoulder portion, said imperforate sleeve having a body with a neck portion, shoulder portion, cap portion and shoulder covering portion, all conforming to the exterior configuration of the bottle, said imperforate sleeve being secured to the bottle by heat-shrinking at an elevated temperature exceeding 212 0 F (100 0 C) in skin-tight relationship to cover the shoulder of the upper portion of the body of said bottle which is exposed to contamination, and anchored in place by peripheral gripping means.

12. In combination, heat-shrinkable imperforate sleeve for use with a water bottle, and a water bottle, said water bottle having a cap, a neck, a shoulder, as well as a bottle with a general body, said imperforate sleeve having an imperforate neck portion, an imperforate shoulder portion, an imperforate cap portion and an imperforate shoulder covering 20 portion, all conforming to the exterior configuration of the bottle, said imperforate sleeve being secured to said bottle in heat-shrink skin-tight relationship so as to cover the shoulder of the upper portion of the bottle which is exposed to contamination when the bottle is transported from the filling facility to the place of utilization.

13. A method for securing the sanitary transportation, storage, or installation of a water bottle having a cap, a neck, a generally cylindrical body, sleeve gripping means and the body, and a shoulder portion transitioning from the body portion S•to the neck portion, comprising the steps of, proving an imperforate sleeve having a bell-shaped body portion proportioned to overlie the shoulder of the bottle body and extend to where the shoulder joins the body of the bottle, and a neck and top portion which generally conform to the silhouette of the bottle to be secured, overlying said imperforate sleeve on the bottle, and sleeve gripping means, after the bottle has been filled, [R:\LIBLL]14791 .doc:FDP 11 conforming said imperforate sleeve to a skin-tight relationship to said bottle by heat-shrinking the same at a temperature exceeding 212 0 F (100 0 and removing the imperforate sleeve from the bottle at the use site to thereby remove undesirable contaminants which have become attached to the protective sleeve while the bottle is being transported, stored, or otherwise handled prior to installation.

14. The method of claim 13, further including selecting the material for forming said imperforate sleeve from one which is strong, clear, biaxially oriented, heat-shrinkable, and comprised of a low linear density polyolefin film.

15. A sleeve and water bottle combination substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 and 7 or Figs. 1, 6 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A method for securing the sanitary transportation, storage, or installation of a water bottle, the method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12 of the accompanying drawings. Dated 3 September, 2003 David W. Clark Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON o S oo** S o [R:\LIBLL] 4791.doc:FDP