Abstract:
A plastics bottle comprising two parts each being stackable in its own right and each part in practice being sealable to the other to provide a unitary bottle for the containment of a liquid or flowable product.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the construction of plastics bottles and in particular, although not exclusively, has reference to the construction of such bottles that are used for beverages and the like, and other liquids or flowable products, and that are sold in bulk numbers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Plastics bottles have been used in many diverse fields, perhaps the most notable of which is that of the soft drinks industry where millions of bottle units are sold annually in an ever-increasing international market. Typically, bottles of this kind are of unitary construction and accordingly have to be arrayed for delivery to the user industry as a complete item in batches, thereby incurring not inconsiderable haulage costs by virtue of the volume of their bulk. In practice, the liquid is injected into the whole bottle and then a removable, but sealable, top is affixed in an appropriate manner to what is usually a narrow neck of the bottle provided with a screw thread for complementary fixing with the removable top. 
         [0003]    The bulk volume of conventional bottles to be delivered to the liquid or flowable product manufacturers for filling represents a serious disadvantage practically and economically. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, there is a need for an improved plastics bottle which obviates the aforementioned disadvantage. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved plastics bottle. 
         [0006]    A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a plastics bottle that is easier to store and transport in view of its stackable character. 
         [0007]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a plastics bottle, which may be filled from the top or in an alternative configuration filled from the bottom. 
         [0008]    Accordingly there is provided a plastics bottle for the containment of a liquid or other flowable product, the bottle comprising a relatively top part and a separate relatively bottom part adapted in use for sealing engagement one with the other to provide a unitary bottle following or prior filling with the contents, and an entry into one of the parts of the bottle for the filling thereof, each part being so formed as to be stackable within or on one another of the same part prior to filling. 
         [0009]    In a first embodiment of the present invention, the bottom part is conveniently of tapered hollow cylindrical construction with an open mouth of a preselected diametral extent and the top part is of a generally hollow funnel shape defining a neck portion and a flared portion, the neck portion preferably being provided with an opening for selectively emptying the bottle of its content. The neck portion is preferably provided with an external thread defining the opening and being for the reception of a cap, and the flared portion presenting a sealing rim for engagement with the mouth of the bottom part. In essence, the bottom part is relatively larger than the top part. 
         [0010]    Conveniently, other the sealing common interface between the top and bottom parts could be a snap-type interface or a screw-type interface. 
         [0011]    In a second embodiment of the present invention, the bottom part is formed like a disc and the top part comprises an open ended tapered hollow cylindrical section leading to a flared portion with a neck portion preferably being provided with an opening for selectively emptying the bottle of its content. The neck portion is preferably provided with an external thread defining the opening and being for the reception of a cap, the open end of the cylindrical section presenting a sealing rim for engagement with the disc of the bottom part. In essence the top part is relatively larger than the bottom part. 
         [0012]    The sealing of the top and bottom parts may be effected thermally or in the alternative may be of a mechanical kind with one of the parts being rolled over and pressed or pinched one on the other. 
         [0013]    Alternatively, the top and bottom parts are locally secured to one another and form a single molded piece. 
         [0014]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the description in association with the following Figures, in which similar references used in different Figures denote similar components, wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a complete bottle in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the bottle shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation of the bottle of  FIG. 2  illustrating the taper form of the bottom part thereof; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a front elevation of a number of stacked parts relating to the first embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a scrap sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 5   a  to  5   c  are views similar to  FIG. 5 , showing different types of sealing common interface between the two top and bottom parts; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective exploded view of a bottle in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of a number of stacked parts relating to the second embodiment of  FIG. 6 , 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of a number of stacked parts relating to another embodiment of the present invention in which the two parts are locally secured to one another during handling thereof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    With reference to the annexed drawings the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be herein described for indicative purpose and by no means as of limitation. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a first embodiment of a plastics bottle is shown at  10  and comprises a bottom part  12  of hollow tapered form as can be more clearly seen in  FIG. 3 , the tapering  13  being of such degree a as to allow stacking of a multiplicity of parts one in the other as illustrated in  FIG. 14 . The bottom part  12  has an open mouth  14  and its external surface is contoured as at  15 . 
         [0027]    The plastics bottle  10  further comprises a top part  16  of funnel shape with a neck portion  18  provided with an external thread  20  defining an opening through the top part and being for engagement by a screw cap  22 , the neck portion being contiguous with a flared concave portion  24  having a sealing lip or rim  26 . The opening is to allow for the selective emptying the bottle of its content. 
         [0028]    As will readily be seen from  FIG. 4  the bottom parts  12  of a plurality of bottles  10  are stackable or nestable one in the other by virtue of the tapered form illustrated in  FIG. 3 . In like manner the top parts  16  can nest one in the other. Accordingly, a greater number of empty ‘bottles’ per unit area of storage or transport space can be accommodated than with conventional bottles. As can be seen in the illustrated example, four ‘bottles’ can be stored on the same area as one conventional bottle. As will be understood, a greater number of bottles may be nested in this fashion for transport to a bottling plant or stored therein within a much-diminished area than with bottles of the known construction. 
         [0029]    In use, when it is desired to fill or charge the bottle of the present invention with a liquid or flowable product, the bottom part  12  is typically presented to the filling station (not shown) and the product is introduced thereinto via the open mouth  14  forming a product entry. Once the desired level is reached, the bottom part  12  is moved along from the filling station and the top part  16  is brought into contact therewith and the two parts are sealed together at the common interface  28  defined by the open mouth  14  of the bottom part and the rim  26  of the top part  16 . As will be seen from  FIG. 5  the seal interface  28 , the top part is in sealing contact, the mouth  14  of the bottom part  12  folding over the rim  26  of the top part  16  to prevent ingress or egress of the contents of the now formed complete bottle, the cap  22  already being tightly in place on the thread  20  of the neck portion  18 . It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the sealing of the two parts may be thermally effected and that such sealing can be effected automatically within the production line of the bottling plant. 
         [0030]    As exemplified in  FIGS. 5   a  to  5   c , the sealing common interface  28  may take different forms and/or shapes depending on the actual needs and use of the bottle  10 .  FIG. 5   a  has an interface  28   a  with the open mouth  14   a  and the rim  26   a  being essentially similar and flat to come into sealing contact with each other, using a heat activated type seal interface or the like. In  FIG. 5   b , the rim  26   b  of the interface  28   b  typically forms an inwardly open channel which sealably receives the circumferential edge of the open mouth  14   b , typically in a snapping manner. In the interface  28   c  of  FIG. 5   c , the rim  26   c  sealably interfaces with the open mouth  14   c  in a screwing manner with threads or the like, preferably with the upper rim  26   c  having the internal thread. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the second embodiment of bottle according to the present invention is illustrated and it will be noted that the bottle is in an inverted orientation with the bottom shown at the top and the top shown at the bottom. This orientation is intended in use in both the storage/transport and filling modes. The bottom part  12  is comprised of a disc  12 ′ and is of relatively small magnitude in comparison with the top part  16  which is of greater volume. In this embodiment the top part  16  incorporates a tapered hollow cylindrical section  16 ′ extending from a wide mouth  30  down to a neck portion  31  provided with an external screw thread  31 ′ for the engagement of a cap  34 . 
         [0032]    As will clearly be observed from  FIG. 7 , a number of top parts  12  may be nested or stacked one in the other, whilst the bottom parts  12  in the form of discs  12 ′, or eventually a truncated small cone (not shown) or the like, can easily form a stack  12 ″. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , for ease of transportation, handling and assembly of the bottle  10 ″ prior to filling and closing thereof, each top part  16  can be locally secured to the corresponding bottom part  12 , typically via a small plastic cord or band type link  36 , allowing the two pieces to remain together and be molded out together into a single piece. The link  36  could be either folded or broken when the two parts  12 ,  16  are being preferably automatically and sealably assembled one onto each other. 
         [0034]    In practice, the top parts  12  would be held in an apertured tray or other base (not shown) to ensure stability during storage and transport and any conveying system would necessarily have to be correspondingly apertured to receive the neck portions  31 . In a bottling plant, the top parts  12  would be separated (or side by side as for the embodiment of  FIG. 8 ) and placed securely on a conveyor (not shown) for conveyance to a filling station for the injection of the liquid or flowable product concerned through the wide mouth  30  forming the product entry. At that stage each top part would be filled and subsequently the top parts  16  would be conveyed to a sealing station whereat the bottom parts  12  would be applied to and sealed to the open mouths  30  of the top parts. The filled bottle would thus be ready for dispatch to the point of sale of its contents. 
         [0035]    Alternatively, the two parts  12 ,  16  could be sealably assembled to one another just prior to the filling of the bottle  10  via the opening of the neck portion  18 ,  31 , as conventionally done with the one-part bottle. 
         [0036]    It will be understood that the shape of the bottle parts may be varied provided that they may remain capable of stacking or nesting as described supra, and the interface  28  being anywhere along the assembled bottle. 
         [0037]    The manner of sealing will be governed inter alia by the nature of the fluid or flowable product to be contained within the bottle. 
         [0038]    Although the neck portion  18 ,  31  is shown having a thread  20 ,  31 ′ to be engaged by a cap  22 ,  34  for the closing and preferably sealing of the opening of the top part  16 , it would be obvious to one skilled in the art that the opening could be made differently and therefore the cap could be made out of other types of closing, such as for example a quarter-turn twist cap or the like, a flip type cover with a hinge or the like, or a simply a seal type closure, and the like. 
         [0039]    Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the disclosure has been made by way of example only and that the present invention is not limited to the features of the embodiments described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.