Abstract:
A plastics material container has an aperture area, a shoulder area adjoining the aperture area in a longitudinal direction of the plastics material container, a main body adjoining this shoulder area in the longitudinal direction of the plastics material container and a base area adjoining the main body in the longitudinal direction of the plastics material container. The shoulder area is widened in the longitudinal direction of the plastics material container from the aperture area in the direction of the main body, and a transition area is provided between the aperture area and the shoulder area. The transition area has a portion widening in the longitudinal direction of the plastics material container from the aperture in the direction of the shoulder area and having a straight course.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a plastics material container. Numerous plastics material containers are known from the prior art. Plastics material containers of this type usually have a base area, a main body adjoining it, a shoulder area and an aperture area. In addition, different methods and apparatus for filling these containers are known from the prior art. 
     In the case of the containers known from the prior art, in particular PET containers or bottles, a cylindrical portion of a pre-set length is usually present below the mouthpiece or the aperture. This cylindrical portion is usually adjoined by an area which is curved towards the inside, i.e. towards the interior of the container, and which usually adjoins this cylindrical part tangentially in this case. 
     This area can in turn be followed by a further curved area or even a straight part. These areas can in turn merge into a plurality of radii or straight lines which have the maximum container diameter as a boundary. The diameter of the bottle neck too is variable. For many beverages or filled goods it would be desirable for them not to encounter the base of the container directly during the filling, but to flow off over the lateral wall or inner wall of the container. In this way, it is possible to prevent an excessive foaming of the product during the filling procedure. In this case the filled goods can be still beverages and/or beverages to be poured hot, in which case the effect of the foaming described above occurs, in particular, even in the case of carbonated filled goods and should be avoided. 
     The containers known from the prior art, however, have the drawback that, in particular in the aperture area of the container, the filled product does not pass over the wall but the flow is agitated by the internal configuration of the container and can tear away as a result. 
     The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a container which facilitates the filling thereof even with those products which are filled in over the inner wall of the container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A plastics material container according to the invention has an aperture area and a shoulder area adjoining this aperture area in a longitudinal direction of the plastics material container. In addition, the container has a main body adjoining the shoulder area in the longitudinal direction of the plastics material container and, in addition, a base area adjoining the main body in the longitudinal direction of the plastics material container. 
     In addition, the shoulder area is widened in the longitudinal direction of the plastics material container from the aperture in the direction of the main body, and a transition area is provided between the aperture area and the shoulder area. 
     According to the invention this transition area has a portion widening in the longitudinal direction of the plastics material container from the aperture in the direction of the shoulder area and having a substantially straight course. In particular, the inner wall of the container in the aforesaid portion has a straight course or extends in a straight direction, and in particular in a straight direction which is situated in a common plane with the longitudinal direction of the container. 
     Adjoining in the longitudinal direction is understood as being that the respective area follows the other area, in which case this can be understood as being an indirect join but also a direct sequence of the areas adjoining one another in each case. 
     In this way, it is preferable for the widening portion to be a portion widening in a frustoconical manner. In this case this portion is thus advantageously situated at an angle to the aforesaid longitudinal direction of the container. The Applicants have discovered that the corrugation in the neck extension usually present in the case of containers from the prior art have an adverse effect upon the filling process. This area of the container has hitherto received little attention, since also on technical grounds it is situated in an area which is difficult to expand. The aforesaid corrugation, however, frequently prevents a liquid from running into the container in a smooth manner. In part it has the effect of a ski jump and the flow of the product to be poured is torn away as a result. It is precisely that the filling flow is not torn away as a result of the specified slope or the straight course into the aperture area of the container. 
     A further advantage of this procedure is an improved distribution of material of the plastics material. On account of this straight area instead of a radius of curvature facing towards the inside, more material can be removed from the aperture area of the container and thus material can be saved as a whole. If, for example, the aforesaid straight course is already pre-set on the wall of the mould it is possible for the thinned and properly tempered (plastics) material to be applied in a better manner to the wall of the mould and to slide literally around the edges and thus to be thinned in a smooth manner. In the prior art the material was fixed in this area and was thus not able to be distributed to other areas of the container. 
     In addition, the accumulation of material—present in the prior art—in the aperture area is unnecessary. It is therefore proposed at the same time that material should be saved in this area and/or should be moved to another location on the container, so that altogether less material can be consumed for the bottle or this material can be used to support the geometry at another location on the container. 
     A straight course or a substantially straight course is to be understood as meaning that a radius of curvature in this area is greater than 10 cm, preferably greater than 20 cm, and in a particularly preferred manner greater than 40 cm. It is preferable for no partial portions with radii of curvature below 10 cm to occur in the aforesaid substantially straight portion. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the container has a carrier ring. This carrier ring can be used even in the context of the production in order to convey the container. It is advantageous for the aforesaid transition area with the widening portion to be situated below the carrier ring in the longitudinal direction of the container, i.e. between the base area and the carrier ring. It would also be possible, however, for the container to be produced without a carrier ring. It would be additionally possible for the container to have—as well as or instead of a carrier ring—a locking ring which is used, in particular, for opening a safety lock. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the aforesaid areas of the plastics material container are formed in one piece with one another. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the container is a blow moulded container and, in particular, a stretch blow moulded container. This means that in order to produce this container a blow moulding process and, in particular a stretch blow moulding process, is used. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the shoulder area is widened with respect to the transition area. In this case this shoulder area can in turn be widened in a conical manner, but a curved widening—for example concave or convex—would also be possible here. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the container has an external thread. It is advantageous for the container also to have a locking ring which is used for tearing a closure seal when the container is opened. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the aperture area has a cylindrical portion which is adjoined by the transition area. It is advantageous in this case for this cylindrical portion to be situated at least in part and preferably completely below the carrier ring. In addition, it is preferable for the cylindrical portion to be of a length which is between 0.01 and 8 mm, preferably between 0.1 and 7 mm, and in a particularly preferred manner between 1 mm and 6 mm, and in a particularly preferred manner between 3 mm and 5 mm. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the widening portion extends, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the container, at an angle which is between 0.01° and 80°, preferably between 0.1° and 80°, preferably between 1° and 75°, and in a particularly preferred manner between 2° and 65°. In particular, the angles indicated are particularly well suited for achieving a uniform filling of the container above the inner wall thereof. By means of the sizes specified it is possible to prevent, in a particularly efficient manner, the filling flow from tearing off inside the container. Within the scope of experiments sample bottles with different geometries in the region of the geometry of the beginning of the neck were produced with a blow mould and were filled. The plastics material is, in particular, PET, but other plastics materials can also be used. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the aforesaid widening straight portion is of a length which is between 0.01 mm and 50 mm, preferably between 0.1 mm and 40 mm, in a particularly preferred manner between 1 mm and 20 mm, and in a particularly preferred manner between 3 mm and 20 mm. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the aforesaid straight portion directly adjoins the cylindrical portion. In this case it is possible for an edge to be formed between the straight portion and the cylindrical portion, but a (short) tangential transition would also be possible. In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the shoulder area widens starting from the transition area. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the widening portion with the straight course is adjoined by a further portion with a likewise straight course, these two straight portions preferably being at an angle with respect to each other. 
     It would also be possible, however, for the transition area with the straight course to be adjoined by a further curved course. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the plastics material container is made rotationally symmetrical in every case in the aperture area and the shoulder area as well as the transition area. In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the plastics material container has an internal volume which is between 0.1 l and 5 l, preferably between 0.25 l and 4 l. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the shoulder area and/or the main body of the plastics material container is constructed without edges in the peripheral direction, i.e. here in particular it has no edges which extend in a longitudinal direction of the plastics material container. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the transition area also has, in addition to the portion with the straight course, a portion with a curved course. In this way, it would be possible for the entire transition area to be formed from a plurality of portions, in particular with different curvatures, in which case at least one of these portions also has the straight course mentioned above. 
     In the case of a further advantageous embodiment the transition area has, in addition to the portion with the straight course, at least one further portion with a straight course. In this case these two portions can adjoin each other directly and, in particular, can be angled with respect to each other. It would also be possible, however, for a curved portion to be provided between these two portions extending straight. This curved area can have in this case a radius of curvature which is between 0.1 mm and 4.0 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 3.0 mm. 
     It is advantageous for the transition area to be formed from at least one straight member and (at least) one curved portion. 
     In addition, more than two portions extending straight could adjoin each other directly or indirectly. 
     The present invention further relates to a method of filling a plastics material container. In this case a plastics material container of the type described above is first made available. After that, the container is filled with a liquid. According to the invention the liquid poured into the plastics material container is applied at least in part to a portion—at a distance from the base area of the plastics material container—of the inner wall of the plastics material container. It is advantageous for the liquid to be applied to the inner wall area in the aperture area of the container. 
     In the case of a further advantageous method the liquid is applied to the inner wall of the container in a direction which also has a component in the peripheral direction of the container. In other words, the liquid applied in this area also has a swirl with respect to the longitudinal direction of the container. 
     It is advantageous for a swirl body, which also produces the component in the peripheral direction, to be used for filling the container. 
     In the case of a further advantageous method the container is produced by a blow moulding procedure, and in particular by a stretch blow moulding procedure. 
     In the case of a further preferred method the straight portion of the plastics material container is also stretched at least slightly within the scope of the blow moulding procedure. 
     It is advantageous for (plastics) material to be removed from the aperture area or the transition area respectively during the production of the container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages and embodiments are evident from the accompanying drawings. In the drawings 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a container according to the prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed view of the area B as shown in  FIG. 1  according to the prior art; 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed view of the area B for a container in a first embodiment according to the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed view of the area B in a second embodiment of a container according to the invention; 
         FIG. 4   a  shows a modification of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a detailed view of the area B in a third embodiment of a container according to the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed view of the area B in a fourth embodiment of a container according to the invention, and 
         FIG. 7  is a further view of the area B. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a container  1  according to the prior art. This container  1  has an aperture area  2 , by way of which liquid for example can be supplied to or removed from the container  1 . An external thread  24  is provided on this aperture area  2 . In addition, a carrier ring  26  and a locking ring  28  are also provided at this aperture area. A further variant (not shown) is to design the aperture area  2  without a carrier ring  26  but with a locking ring  28 . 
     A cylindrical portion  22  is formed below the carrier ring  26 . During an expansion procedure it is preferable for the area including the carrier ring  26  not to be stretched or expanded. 
     The aperture area  2  is adjoined by a shoulder area  4  of the container and this shoulder area in turn is adjoined by a main body  6  of the container  1 . This main body  6  encloses in this case the greater part of the internal volume of the container  1 . The reference number  8  refers to a base area which in turn adjoins the main body. 
     The reference letter B designates an area between the aperture area  2  and the shoulder area  4 , to which the invention relates and which will be considered in greater detail below. 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged illustration of this area R. In this case, below the carrier ring  26 , the cylindrical area  22  as well as a curved area  112  which forms the transition to the shoulder area  4  are again evident. This transition area  112  has in this case a pre-set area of curvature R 112 . The reference letter D refers to the diameter of the neck of the container, in which case the latter can be variable. The reference h  22  refers to a height or a length respectively in the longitudinal direction L. The transition area  112  is adjoined in turn by the shoulder area  4 . In particular, the area  112  is particularly critical when the container or the inner wall thereof respectively is acted upon with a liquid. In this area  112  the film of liquid can tear off and, in this way, can no longer run on the inner wall but can arrive directly (in an undesired manner) in the base area. 
       FIG. 3  shows the area B for a container according to the invention in a first embodiment. As mentioned above, an essential aspect of the invention lies in the fact that, in particular, this area B is modified. In this way, the filling, in particular, should be improved with a swirl body filling means. The radius R 112  mentioned above is replaced by the variants shown in  FIGS. 3 to 7 . More precisely, the distribution of the plastics material is improved, in order also to save material in this area or to distribute it to another location of the bottle at which it improves other properties of the container. 
     In the case of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  the curved area  112  shown in  FIG. 2  is replaced by a portion  14  extending straight. This straight portion extends at an angle a 14  with respect to the longitudinal direction or with respect to the cylindrical portion  22  extending vertically. The length of this cylindrical portion  22  can be selected as in the prior art or it can be set to a value which is between 0.01 mm and 8.0 mm and preferably between 3.0 mm and 5.0 mm. The aforesaid angle a 14  is preferably selected, as mentioned above, in a range of between 2° and 65°. The length of the straight portion  14  can be between 0.01 mm and 50 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, long, but does not adjoin the cylindrical portion  22  tangentially. It is preferable, however, for the portion  14  to be shorter than the height h 22  of the cylindrical part  22 . It is advantageous for the height h 22  of the cylindrical part  22  to be at least double the size of the length of the straight portion  14 . 
     In the case of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  this straight portion  14  is adjoined by a second straight portion  16 . Instead of a straight portion  16 , a convex portion could also follow. In the case of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  the second portion  16  does not adjoin the first portion  14  tangentially, but this would likewise be possible in the case of certain geometries. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the portion  16  is adjoined by the shoulder area  4  of the container. It would also be possible for the area  16  to be understood as a portion of the shoulder area. 
     The reference number  12  refers to the transition area between the aperture area  2  and the shoulder area  4 , which in this case also contains the two portions  14 ,  16 . It is preferable for this transition area to be formed between the cylindrical part  22  and the shoulder area. 
       FIG. 4  shows a further embodiment of a container according to the invention. In the case of this embodiment the curved portion  112  is replaced by two straight portions  14  and  16  which are arranged at the angles a 14  and a 16  shown with respect to the longitudinal direction L. The diameter D of the neck of the container can be selected in this case as in the prior art. In addition, the height h 22  of the cylindrical portion  22  can be selected as in the prior art or it can be set to a value which is between 0.01 mm and 8.0 mm and preferably between 3.0 mm and 5.0 mm. The length  114  of the first straight portion  14  can be selected for example between 0.01 mm and 50 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, and in this case too it does not adjoin the cylindrical portion  22  tangentially. In addition, the length  116  of the second straight portion can be between 0.01 mm and 50 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 20 mm, and likewise does not adjoin the first straight portion  14  tangentially. 
     In this way, the angle a 16  is preferably greater than the angle a 14 . It is advantageous for the length of the second straight portion  16  to be greater than the length of the first straight portion. It is also preferable for a difference between the angles a 16  and a 14  to be smaller than 60°, preferably smaller than 50°, preferably smaller than 40°, in a particularly preferred manner smaller than 30°, in a particularly preferred manner smaller than 20°, in a particularly preferred manner smaller than 10°, and in a particularly preferred manner smaller than 5°. The advantage of these relatively small angles is that they result in only slight bends at which a tearing of a film of liquid is highly improbable. 
     In this case the angles a relate in each case to the longitudinal direction L or to the portion  22  extending parallel to them. In this way, these angles preferably also represent the angles of the frustum formed by the portion  14 . 
     The straight portion  16  can be adjoined by a further portion  18  which can both be straight and have a convex radius. If this third portion  18  is curved, a tangential attachment to the portion  16  would also be possible. 
     The angle a 14  can also in this case be between 0.01° and 80°, preferably between 2° and 65°. The angle a 16  is between 0.01° and 80°, preferably between 5° and 65°. In addition, in the case of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  the portion  18  can again be adjoined by the container geometry known per se. 
       FIG. 4   a  shows a modification of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 . Here two straight portions  14  and  16  are likewise provided, in which case a curved portion is situated between these straight portions  14 ,  16  and connects the two straight portions  14  and  16  to each other. In addition or as an alternative, a curved portion  17  can also be provided between the portions  14  and  16 . It is advantageous for at least one of the two curved portions  15 ,  17  to be shorter than the respective straight portions  14  and  16 . The radii of curvature of these curved portions are advantageously between 0.1 mm and 4.0 mm, and preferably between 0.5 mm and 3.0 mm 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 4   a , i.e. in particular the provision of at least one curved area between the respective straight portions, has the effect that stress cracking or delamination of the material is inhibited or prevented in these areas. 
       FIG. 5  shows a further embodiment of a container according to the invention. In the case of this arrangement too, the curved portion  112  shown in  FIG. 1  is replaced by the straight portion  14 , which extends at the angle a 14  with respect to the longitudinal direction. In addition, the diameter D of the neck of the bottle corresponds to the diameters customary in the prior art. The height h 22  of the cylindrical part is likewise selected as in the embodiment shown above. The length  114  of the straight portion  14  can again be between 0.01 mm and 50 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, and it does not adjoin the cylindrical portion  22  tangentially. The first portion  14  is adjoined in this case by a curved portion  16 , in which case this attachment is tangential here. The reference R 16  designates a radius of curvature of this curved portion  16 . 
     In this way, in the case of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5  too, the transition area, which is designated  12  as a whole and which contains the portions  14  and  16 , is formed in at least two parts here. The attachment of the second portion  16  to the further portion  18  again takes place tangentially in this case. This means that the curvature of the second portion  16  in  FIG. 5  increases downwards from the top. The portion  18  can again be made straight or also curved. The portion  18  is then adjoined again by the known container geometry. 
       FIG. 6  shows a further embodiment of a container according to the invention. In the case of this embodiment the curved portion  112  shown in  FIG. 1  is replaced by two straight portions  14 ,  16  and a spline S 16 , which extend at the angles a 14  and a 16  with respect to the longitudinal direction. The diameter D is again selected here as in the case of the containers shown above and also the height h 22  of the cylindrical portion remains the same. 
     In the same way as  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7  is an illustration of the geometries, in which case, however, the container itself has been omitted in  FIG. 7  for the sake of improved visualization. The first portion  14  can again be of a length between 0.01 mm and 50 mm and again does not adjoin the cylindrical part  22  in a tangential or parallel manner. The point M 1  designates the transition point between the cylindrical portion  22  and the first portion  14 . The second portion  16  can be arranged both parallel and obliquely with respect to the first portion  14 . The point M 2  designates the transition point between the first portion  14  and the second portion  16 . 
     The reference M 3  designates a transition point between the second portion  16  and the spline S 16 . This transition from the portion  16  into the spline S 16  can take place with a constant curvature in this case, but it is preferable for it to take place at a constant tangent in each case. The reference M 4  designates a further transition point from the spline S 16  into the area  18 . This transition in the transition point M 4  to the continuing container contour, which can comprise for example a concave or a convex radius or a straight line in the point M 4 , can have a constant curvature in this case, but it is preferable for it to take place at a constant tangent in each case, and it is preferably described by a polynomial of the nth degree. 
     Such a polynomial or a spline of the nth degree is a function which is formed piecemeal from polynomials with the maximum degree n. It is preferable in this case for n to be an integer which is larger than or equal to 2 and which is preferably smaller than or equal to 7. In this case preferred degrees of this function are, in particular, 2, 3, 5 or 7. The magnitude of the angle a 14  in this case is again preferably between 0.01° and 80°, in particular between 2° and 65°. The magnitude of the angle a 16  is preferably between 0.01° and 80°, and in a particularly preferred manner between 3° and 65°. The transition areas shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  can again adjoin the existing bottle geometries. 
     The reference number  12  refers to the transition area between the aperture area  2  and the shoulder area  4 , which in this case also contains the two portions  14 ,  16  and the spline S 16 . It is preferable for this transition area to be formed between the cylindrical part  22  and the shoulder area. 
     The Applicants reserve the right to claim all the features disclosed in the application documents as being essential to the invention, insofar as they are novel either individually or in combination as compared with the prior art. 
     LIST OF REFERENCES 
     
         
           1  plastics material container 
           2  aperture area 
           4  shoulder area 
           6  main body 
           8  base area 
           12  transition area 
           14  portion extending straight 
           15  curved portion 
           16  portion adjoining the portion  14   
           17  curved portion 
           18  portion adjoining the portion  16   
           22  cylindrical portion 
           24  external thread 
           26  carrier ring 
           28  locking ring 
           112  portion (prior art) 
         R 112  radius of the portion  112  (prior art) 
         L longitudinal direction of the plastics material container 
         a 14  angle of the portion  14  with respect to the longitudinal direction of the container 
           114  length of the portion  14   
         a 16  angle of the portion  16  with respect to the longitudinal direction of the container 
           116  length of the portion  16   
         h 22  height of the cylindrical portion  22   
         M 1 -M 4  transition points 
         B area 
         D diameter 
         R 16  radius of curvature of the area  16   
         S 16  spline or polynomial of the nth degree of the area  16