Patent Publication Number: US-8540096-B1

Title: Bottle with recessed movable handle

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to containers formed of integral one-piece plastic bottles suitable for use in the distribution of milk, water, carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, other liquids and free-flowing particulates, the containers including a handle that is movable between recesses in the sidewall of the container and an extended position protruding beyond the sidewall of the container. 
     Containers for flowable products, such as liquids and granular products, have been formed of plastic by a variety of methods. For example, plastic containers have been molded to form an integral container body, neck finish and handle. Other plastic containers have been formed with an integral container body and neck finish, and a separate handle later attached to the container body after removal from the blow mold. Still other plastic containers have been formed by positioning an integral handle and neck finish in a blow mold, whereby during blowing of the container body (from a separate preform placed in the blow mold) the handle and the neck finish become attached to the container body. The blow molding process can include both extrusion-blow molding and injection-blow molding. Some containers have used a different plastic material for the handle than for the container body for reasons such as strength, color, aesthetics or cost. Some containers have also provided a separate handle that is attachable post-mold to the formed container. 
     Little attention has been paid to considering the formation of such containers to allow for a change between a compact conformation during shipping and storage, and a more user-friendly expanded conformation during use by the end consumer. What is needed is a container having handles that can be stored in a non-extending manner and, when needed by the consumer, deployed for easy handling of the container. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a container can be a bottle enclosing a prescribed volume. The bottle can include a base, a sidewall extending upward from the base, a shoulder extending upward and inward from the sidewall to a finish surrounding an opening into the bottle, the finish being adapted to receive a closure. The sidewall can include a pair of recesses situated on opposite sides of a vertical midline, with at least one passage extending between the pair of recesses. The container can also include a handle having first and second portions adapted to be received wholly within the pair of recesses in the sidewall. Connecting portions can extend through the at least one passage to connect the first and second handle portions to each other. The connecting portions can include a hinge permitting the first and second portions to be displaced from within the sidewall recesses to a position projecting outward from the sidewall sufficiently to permit the first and second portions to be grasped in one hand by a user of the container. 
     In a particular embodiment, the at least one passage between the pair of recesses can be formed by a pinch-mold portion that defines a seam surrounding the passage generally in alignment with a parting line of the mold. This process is particularly useful for containers formed by an extrusion-blow molding process of polymers adapted to such processing. 
     In another embodiment, the at least one passage between the pair of recesses can be formed by a dowel or rod extending between two halves of a mold, the polymer forming the sidewall of the bottle wrapping around the dowel or rod, which is withdrawn from the passage during the parting of the mold after formation of the bottle. This process is particularly useful for containers formed by injection-blow molding processes of polymers adapted to such processing. 
     In a preferred embodiment, at least two passages are formed between the pair of recesses so that two connecting portions join the first and second handle portions to provide enhanced strength and better control of the container during use. The first and second handle portions and connecting portion can be formed of polymer that is different than that forming the bottle. 
     Other features of the present containers and the corresponding advantages of those features will be come apparent from the following discussion of preferred embodiments, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a bottle including recesses adapted to receive handle portions. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the bottle of  FIG. 1  showing a passage extending between the recesses. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bottle of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top elevation view of a handle adapted to be coupled to the bottle of the previous FIGs. 
         FIG. 5  is a front elevation view of a handle adapted to be coupled to the bottle of the previous FIGs. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a handle adapted to be coupled to the bottle of the previous FIGs. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a container formed by the addition of the handle of  FIGS. 4-6  to the bottle of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the handle adapted to be coupled to the bottle of the previous FIGs, the handle being folded along hinge lines to an outwardly projecting position. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 7  with the handle folded to the outwardly projecting position. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of another bottle including recesses adapted to receive handle portions. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a container formed by the bottle of  FIG. 10  and a handle similar to that shown in  FIG. 4-6 . 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 11  with the handle folded to the outwardly projecting position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A bottle  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3  that can be used in a container of the present invention. The bottle  10  can include a base  12 . While the base  12  is illustrated to have an essentially planar bottom  14 , the base  12  can be a petaloid bottom formed with a plurality of feet, or a champagne style bottom formed with a seating ring surrounding a centrally located, upwardly projected dome. A sidewall  16  can extend upward from the base  12 . The sidewall  16  can include a lower margin  18  that is continuously joined to the base  12 , and an upper margin  20 . While the upper and lower margins  18  and  20  of sidewall  16  are shown to be circular, so that the sidewall is generally cylindrical, other shapes are also possible including triangular, ovate, rectangular, etc. A shoulder  22  can be continuously joined to the sidewall upper margin  20  to extend upward and inward from the sidewall  16  to a finish  24  surrounding an opening into the bottle  10 . The finish  24  can be threaded or otherwise adapted to receive a closure  26 . 
     The sidewall  16  can additionally include a pair of recesses  28 ,  30  situated on opposite sides of a midline M, which can be vertical and arranged parallel to an axis Y of the bottle  10 . The recesses  28 ,  30  are shown to be indentations into the sidewall  16  including an upper leg  32 , a lower leg  34  and a middle portion  36  forming a continuous trough in the sidewall  16 . A passage  38  can extend between inner ends of the pair of upper legs  32  of the recesses  28 ,  30 . Another passage  40  can extend between inner ends of the pair of lower legs  34  of the recesses  28 ,  30 . The passages  38 ,  40  can be defined by inserts around which the bottle  10  is molded. The passages  38 ,  40  can be completely surrounded or only partially surrounded by the plastic forming the sidewall  16  of the bottle  10 . The illustrated bottle  10  can be formed by a conventional injection-blow molding process using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other suitable resin. The volume of the bottle  10  can selected over a range of volumes, but the utility of the container will become particularly apparent in bottles having a volume of 2 liters and greater. 
     A handle  42  is shown in  FIGS. 4-6  that is suitable for use in conjunction with the bottle  10  to form a container of the present invention. The handle  42  can include a first portion  44  and second portion  46 . The first and second portions  44 ,  46  can be suitably dimensioned to be received wholly within the pair of recesses  28 ,  30  in the sidewall  16  of bottle  10  as shown in  FIG. 7  to form a container  100 . The first and second portions  44 ,  46  can each include an upper portion  48 , a lower portion  50 , and a middle portion  52  that can join the upper and lower portions into a one-piece unitary formation. Connecting upper portions  54  can be provided to connect each of the adjoining upper portions  48 . Likewise, lower connecting portions  56  can be provided to connect each of the adjoining lower portions  50 . The connecting portions  54 ,  56  can include a separable junction  58  that will permit the connecting portions to extend through at least one of the passages  38 ,  40  to connect the first and second handle portions  44 ,  46  to each other. The connecting portions  54 ,  56  can include at least one hinge  60  permitting the first and second handle portions  44 ,  46  to be displaced from within the sidewall recesses  28 ,  30  of container  100 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , to a projecting position as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The handle  42  is seen in  FIG. 9  to project outward from the sidewall  16  sufficiently to permit the first and second portions  44 ,  46  to be grasped in one hand by a user of the container  100 . 
     Another embodiment of a container  100  is shown in  FIGS. 10-12 , wherein the bottle  70  can include a base  12 . A sidewall  16  can extend upward from the base  12 . The sidewall  16  can include a lower margin  18  that is continuously joined to the base  12 , and an upper margin  20 . A shoulder  22  can be continuously joined to the sidewall upper margin  20  to extend upward and inward from the sidewall  16  to a finish  24  surrounding an opening into the bottle  70 . The finish  24  can be threaded or otherwise adapted to receive a closure  26 . 
     The sidewall  16  can additionally include a pair of recesses  28 ,  30  situated on opposite sides of a midline M, which can be vertical and arranged parallel to an axis Y of the bottle  70 . The recesses  28 ,  30  are shown to be indentations into the sidewall  16  including an upper leg  32 , a lower leg  34  and a middle portion  36  forming a continuous trough in the sidewall  16 . A passage  38  can extend between inner ends of the pair of upper legs  32  of the recesses  28 ,  30 . Another passage  40  can extend between inner ends of the pair of lower legs  34  of the recesses  28 ,  30 . The passages  38 ,  40  can be defined by inserts around which the bottle  70  is molded. The passages  38 ,  40  can be completely surrounded or only partially surrounded by the plastic forming the sidewall  16  of the bottle  70 . When the bottle  70  is formed by an extrusion-blow molding process of polymers adapted to such processing, the passages  38 ,  40  between the pair of recesses  28 ,  30  can be formed by a pinch-mold portion that defines a seam surrounding the passage generally in alignment with the mid-line M between the recesses  28 ,  30 . 
     A handle  42  similar to that shown in  FIGS. 4-6  and that is suitable for use in conjunction with the bottle  70  can be used to form a container  100  as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . The first and second portions  44 ,  46  of handle  42  can be suitably dimensioned to be received wholly within the pair of recesses  28 ,  30  in the sidewall  16  of bottle  70  as shown in  FIG. 11 . The handle  42  can include at least one hinge  60  permitting the first and second handle portions  44 ,  46  to be displaced from within the sidewall recesses  28 ,  30  of container  100 , as shown in  FIG. 11 , to a projecting position as shown in  FIG. 12 . The handle  42  is seen in  FIG. 12  to project outward from the sidewall  16  sufficiently to permit the first and second portions  44 ,  46  to be grasped in one hand by a user of the container  100 . 
     While these features have been disclosed in connection with the illustrated preferred embodiments, other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art that come within the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.