Plastic bottle particularly for containing beverages

Abstract: The bottle, particularly suitable for carbonated beverages, is of the type with a substantially cylindrical shape (2) and is provided circumferentially with at least one deep annular groove (5) with a quadrangular cross section.

Description: The present invention relates to a plastic bottle according to the preamble of claim 1. The bottle is particularly suitable for the containment of carbonated beverages such as mineral waters, orangeades or other beverages to which carbon dioxide is added. It is known that plastic bottles suitable for the containment of carbonated beverages, of the kind currently used in the 1.5- or 2-liter size, must have a body which is more resistant than the others. The greater resistance of these bottles, which are manufactured with the method of blow molding, is usually obtained by increasing the thickness of their body. This naturally increases the amount of raw material used and consequently the cost of the bottles. In order to solve this disadvantage, bottles which are circumferentially provided with slight annular reinforcement grooves with a triangular cross section have been made commercially available, but the practical results have not been up to the expectations, since due to the filling and to the consequent tensions to which the bottle is subjected its outer surface tends to stretch longitudinally, consequently stretching the annular grooves, which achieve no effect. The surface of bottles for beverages is furthermore generally completely smooth and also has a considerable diameter (approximately 85 mm), so that gripping with a user's hands is often troublesome. The document GB-A-2 025 889 discloses a longitudinally extending thin-wall bottle formed from synthetic resin in which a constricted part with a central peripheral protrusion is circumferentially provided in the thin-wall peripheral body, thereby to disperse the internal pressure concentrically acting on the middle portion of the bottle in both the upper and lower directions which allows to avoid a necessary increase in the wall thickness of the whole peripheral body. It is also disclosed that such constricted part can be handled by the fingers of a user, thereby to avoid slippage of the bottle. The document FR-A-1 383 069 discloses a bottle with a narrow somewhat triangular groove provided circumferentially in the side wall of the bottle so that such bottle can be squeezed longitudinally, like an accordion, to bring the portions above and below the groove together, after which a lid is placed on the bottle after filling with a liquid therein, so that during the course of time the container can re-expand if gas is released from the liquid, thereby to avoid damage to the container. The groove however is too small to accommodate a user's fingers, and no teaching is provided relating to the overall thickness of the side walls of the bottle. EP-A-279 628 discloses a pressure resistant bottle-shaped container having a cylindrical band with a quadrangular cross-section. It is not however disclosed that such cylindrical band has the purpose of being gripped by a user. The aim of the present invention is to provide a plastic bottle of the type commonly used for the containment of carbonated beverages in the 1.5- or 2-liter size which solves the disadvantages described above in the known art. A consequent primary object is to provide a bottle which, despite being suitable for the containment of carbonated beverages, is equal in cost to those suitable for non-carbonated beverages. Not least object is to provide a bottle which is not more difficult to manufacture than currently commercially available bottles. This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a plastic bottle as defined in the appended claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a perspective view of the bottle according to the invention; figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of the bottle of figure 1. With reference to the above figures, the bottle is indicated by the reference numeral 1 and comprises a cylindrical body 2, a shaped bottom 3 and a neck 4 with a thread for a closure. The bottle 1 is made of plastic material with conventional methods of blow molding, in particular with the material commonly indicated by the acronym PET. According to the invention, the bottle 1 is circumferentially provided, in an upper region of the body 2, with a deep annular groove 5 having a quadrangular cross section which is in particular a cross section in the shape of an equilateral trapezoid. The groove 5 therefore comprises two annular bands 6 and 7 with a conical shape which are connected by an inner cylindrical band 8. Since the bottle 1 is manufactured by blow molding, as mentioned previously, the amount of material which deposits on every part of the parison in its initial shape is the same. The band 8 of the finished bottle has a considerably smaller diameter than the body 2, and after blowing the thickness at the band 8 is greater than that of the other parts of the body, so that it is considerably resistant and the groove 5 is not subjected to stretchings. The inner band 8 in practice has a function which is comparable to that of the reinforcement hoops of barrels. It should also be pointed out, considering the fact that the bottle will be preferably manufactured in the currently commercially used 1.5- and 2-liter sizes, that the local diameter reduction caused by the presence of the groove 5 allows a better grip with a user's hands with respect to current bottles. Finally, the fact that in practice the amount of material used is equal or slightly greater than that used for bottles for non-carbonated beverages provides a further advantage of the present invention. It has thus been observed in practice that the bottle according to the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects. The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations within the scope of the claims. In practice, the materials employed, so long as compatible with the contingent use, may be any according to the requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: A thin wall bottle (1) of plastics comprising a substantially cylindrically shaped body (2), the bottle circumferentially comprising at least one annular groove (5) having a quadrangular configuration in cross-section, the groove having annular side wall portions and a bottom portion in the form of an annular band (8) characterized in that said annular band (8) has a reinforcing wall thickness which is greater than that of the other parts of the body. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein said annular side walls are in the form of conically shaped annular bands (6,7) and said annular band (8) is a cylindrical annular band mutually connected between said conically shaped annular bands (6,7). A bottle according to claims 1, 2, wherein the cross section of said annular groove (5) has the shape of an equilateral trapezoid. A bottle according to claims 1-3, further comprising a shaped bottom (3) and an upper neck (4) provided with a thread for a closure element. A bottle according to claims 1-4, wherein the groove (5) is provided in the upper region of the bottle.

Inventors: PASQUALE LINO, PASQUALE, LINO
Applicants: SO GE A M SPA, SO.GE.A.M. S.P.A. SOCIETA' GESTIONE ACQUE MINERALI
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B65D1
IPC codes: B65D1