Abstract:
The method of manufacturing and bottle having a neck ring with a first face having a distinguishing characteristic wherein the first face may be distinguished, and thus oriented, thereby orienting the soft drink bottle during the filling, labeling and/or packaging process. The first face is preferably planar so that it may cooperate with a guide so that the bottle may be rotated about a longitudinal axis extending through the bottle for either maintaining the orientation of the bottle or for changing the bottle orientation during various steps of the manufacturing and filling processes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to methods and devices utilized to make bottles, fill them with liquid, and package the filled bottles, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for assisting in orienting bottles for packaging, filling and/or processing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Blow molded plastic bottles have largely replaced the heavier glass bottles previously used for soft drinks, and the like. In commonly utilized two-liter and twenty-ounce bottles formed of plastic, the weight of the bottle itself is negligible as compared to the weight of glass bottles of similar capacity. The first plastic bottles were generally two piece bottles comprising a pressure vessel portion and base which permitted the bottle to stand upright on shelves, and the like. The pressure vessel portion was typically of a tough, flexible plastic (e.g. polyester) which became resiliently rigid for gripping due to the internal pressure created by the carbon dioxide gas in the soft drink liquid contained therein. The bottom was hemispherical and the separate base was required in order for the bottle be able to stand by itself. The base was typically of a plastic such as polyethylene and is attached over the bottom of the pressure vessel portion with adhesive. 
     One alternative to a two-piece construction is to create a bottle having a so-called “champagne” base which resists the internal pressure. Inversion is a problem in such designs. In an attempt to avoid that problem, numerous bottle configurations have been proposed incorporating, for example, integral pressure-resistant ribs into the bottom of the bottle. More recently, bottle designs utilizing a petaloid base have been proposed. In all polyester (usually PET) bottles, weight is a very important consideration. Based on a conservative estimate of 5 billion bottles produced per year and a PET price of $(US) 1.54 per Kg($(US) 0.70 per pound), a 1-2 gram decrease in the PET content of a bottle would save approximately $(US) 7-14 million per year. 
     While many forming techniques and designs have been directed to the bases to reduce the amount of plastic in the base, few techniques and designs have been directed to the necks of the bottles. In most bottle designs, the top portion of the bottle has a neck finish having a set of male threads on an outer surface which mate with internal female threads in a cap. Below the neck finish on the bottle is a neck ring. This neck ring constitutes a relatively large portion of the plastic material utilized in the formation of the bottle. 
     Additionally, as most plastic bottles are substantially round, or at least curved, about their perimeter, there is a tendency for the bottles to spin during the travel through the various operations at a bottling plant such as filling, capping and/or packaging. There are some problems which can result from spinning bottles during the filling/capping, and packaging processes. 
     Furthermore, since most bottles are substantially round or ribbed about their perimeter, along any given cross section of the bottle, there is no easy way to orient these bottles for packing. For instance, if all of the labels are intended to face a certain direction for packaging as a six-pack, there is no easy way to orient the bottles, especially when spinning is occurring through the packaging equipment and process. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for an improved neck ring and methods of its use and implementation during the filling, capping and packaging processes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a construction method and design for the neck ring of a one piece plastic bottle for containing carbonated beverages providing a smaller perimeter and/or using less material than prior art designs. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for utilizing the neck ring of a bottle to orient the bottle along the filling, capping and/or packaging process. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for reducing, if not eliminating spinning during the filling, capping and/or packaging process. 
     According to the invention there is provided a method and process of making a bottle having a neck with a positioner, preferably circumscribed within a circumference of a traditional neck ring, said positioner comprised of at least one distinguishable section so that the bottle may be oriented using a guide and/or sensor. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the positioner is comprised of a plurality of segments at least partially circumscribed within the circumference of a traditional neck ring with at least one segment having a different characteristic, such as a longer length, so that the neck ring may be sensed and oriented during the filling, capping and/or packaging steps. Specifically, by being able to orient the bottle during the application of labels and packaging, the orientation of the bottles in a packaged form may be pre-selected. During capping, the neck ring may be utilized to keep the bottle from spinning. By circumscribing the segments within the circumference of a traditional neck ring, the area defined by the circumference and segment represents plastic which is not utilized in the new design, and a cost savings to the bottle manufacturer. Finally, by having planar faces on the neck, the bottle may be retained and/or guided in areas where spinning has occurred with traditional substantially round neck rings and bottles. 
     The bottles are preferably constructed utilizing a blow molding process for producing a self-standing one-piece polyester container for carbonated beverages. The bottles are traditionally defined by a longitudinal axis and comprise a sidewall portion which is integral with and terminates at a lower portion in a closed base of a petaloid form defining at least three feet disposed about the longitudinal axis whereby the container is self standing. A neck ring is located at a top portion with the threads located above the neck ring. The improved neck ring comprises the positioner described above. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a prior art bottle with a neck ring; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the neck ring of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 3 is across sectional view taken along the line A—A of FIG. 2 as shown against a guide with a sensor. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, a prior art one piece self-standing bi-axially oriented PET two-liter bottle  1 , of circular horizontal cross-section, comprises a neck finish  2  connected to a neck transition portion  3  by way of a neck support ring  4 . Other size bottles, such as twenty-ounce bottles are similarly formed. The neck transition portion  3  connects by way of an upper portion  5  of the bottle  1  to a substantially cylindrical sidewall portion  6  which terminates at its lower end in a closed base  7 , the underlying shape of which is hemispherical. The bottle  1  defines a longitudinal axis  8 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a bottle  10  substantially identical to the prior art bottle  1  except for having the neck ring  14  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the neck ring  14  preferably has a smaller volume than the prior art neck ring  4  shown in FIG. 1 which is also shown in phantom in FIG.  3 . In fact, the neck ring  14  is shown circumscribed within the circumference and perimeter of the prior art neck ring  4  which has a circular cross section. 
     Neck ring  14  is preferably comprised of a plurality of planar faces  16 , 18 , such as five to nine, that meet at corners  20 . Comers  20  need not be sharply angled, but could have gradual curved edges. At least one of the faces  18  differs in a characteristic from the remaining faces  16 . It is further preferred that at least two faces  16 , 18  are parallel to one another. As shown in FIG. 3, face  18  is longer than other faces  16 . Accordingly, the length  22  is greater than length  24 . This allows a sensor  26  to detect the distinguishing face  18  so that the bottle  10  may be oriented during the filling and/or packaging processes. The presence of parallel faces  16 , 18  has been found helpful to allow opposing guides to direct the bottle  10  through various stages of the manufacturing process. 
     Although a longer length  22  is the characteristic utilized in the preferred embodiment, in other embodiments it may be that the distinguishing face  18  is the only substantially planar face on the circumference about the perimeter of the neck ring  14  (thereby being the distinguishing characteristic) or it could be a shorter length  22  or other attribute. As shown in FIG. 2, the faces  16 , 18  are preferably planar and meet at corners  20 . Of course, in another embodiment the faces  16  may not necessarily be planar. Furthermore, the faces  16  may not meet at corners with the other faces  16 . Additionally, although other faces  16  are illustrated as having the same length as FIG. 3, it may be that faces  16  do not have the same length. As long as distinguishing face  18  has a different characteristic on the remaining faces  16 , it is not believed to make a difference if the other faces  16  differ from one another or not. 
     The distinguishing characteristic of the preferred embodiment of the neck ring  14  is the length  22  of face  18 . In other embodiments the height, or other characteristic such as texture, color or otherwise could be the distinctive characteristic as long as it can be sensed by a sensor  26 . 
     Another advantage of the preferred embodiment invention as shown in FIG. 3 is the presence of at least one planar face  16 , 18 . By having at least a portion of the neck ring  14  linear along the length  22  as shown in FIG. 3 then a guide  28  may be utilized adjacent to the neck ring during the filling, capping and/or packaging steps so that the bottle  10  resists twisting during the manufacturing processes. Two guides  28  could be utilized especially if at least some of faces  16 , 18  are parallel to one another which would be particularly helpful during capping. In the prior art the cylindrical nature of the neck ring did not often hold or grip as shown in FIG. 3 since the corners  20  would resist twisting relative to guide  28  during the manufacturing process. Guide  28  can also be utilized to rotate the bottle  10  about its longitudinal axis or prevent rotation about the longitudinal axis for packaging, affixing labels with the bottle  10  facing in a predetermined direction or other step of the manufacturing process; or otherwise assist in positioning at least one of the bottles  10 . 
     FIG. 3 also shows the difference between the preferred neck ring  14  and the prior art neck ring  4 . The shaded sections represent plastic material which will not be necessary in the preferred embodiment. Accordingly, this reduction in plastic equates to a cost savings especially in light of the huge number of bottles produced annually. 
     A bottle  10  preferably blow molded to form a self-standing, one-piece polyester container defining a longitudinal axis  30  and comprising a sidewall portion terminating at a first end at a close base portion, said sidewall portion terminating at a neck ring  14  at a second end sidewall portions, said first second ends opposing one another, said neck ring  14  having a first face with a distinguishing characteristic. The sensor  26  can be utilized to assist in locating the distinguishing face of the neck ring such as face  28 . The bottles may then be rotated about their longitudinal axes  30  so that face  28  may be oriented in a predetermined manner. A label may applied to a bottle along the sidewall portion or otherwise. Additionally, the guide  28  could be utilized to contact a planar face  28  of the neck ring  14  through at least one step of the manufacturing process, such as to either prevent unwanted rotation about the longitudinal axis  30 , or to orient bottles in accordance with a predetermined packaging arrangement. 
     Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.