Patent Publication Number: US-2011049086-A1

Title: Bottle

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application is directed to plastic bottles, typically blow molded from PET material. In particular, the present application is directed to such plastic bottles that include gripping sections for round bottles of relatively large capacity, e.g., 60 oz, 64 oz, 96 oz, 128 oz., etc. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many 96 oz. bottles are commercially available and prevalent in consumer settings, such as grocery stores. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,273,282, 6,796,450, 6,257,433, 6,044,997 and 5,762,221. In addition, so-called pinch grip containers are prevalent in the field, especially in regard to 64 ounce bottles, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,557. However, there is an ever growing need to improve bottles in terms of gripability, pourability, labeling, reducing weight, decreased weight/material and/or increased strength, etc. 
     Thus, a need has developed in the bottling art to provide address one or more of these challenges. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the present invention relates to an improved bottle design having a gripping section located above the bottle label panel to enable labeling with a wrap around label using a wrap around labeling machine. 
     Another aspect is to allow for material reduction, while maintaining the bottle&#39;s strength and load capacity, as well as the bottle&#39;s ability to accommodate for or otherwise resist vacuum deformation. 
     Another aspect is to provide improved gripping and/or pourability, e.g., by providing one or more raised beads in the grip area of each gripping portion, and/or positioning and/or dimensioning the gripping section relative to the remainder of the bottle. 
     Another aspect is to provide an improved and/or coordinated logo scheme, by providing relatively large logo areas on the upper and lower portions of the bottle that are aligned and/or coordinated with one another. 
     Another aspect is to provide for vacuum deformation flex panels in the base, upper and/or lower portions of the bottle to accommodate for any forces introduced during the pasteurization process during a filling operation. 
     Another aspect is directed to a bottle having a reinforced upper portion of the dome portion thereof, e.g., on a generally round bottle. 
     The bottle described herein may be a hot-fillable or cold-fillable plastic bottle. In one form, the bottle is made from blow-molded plastic (e.g., PET or another suitable plastic). 
     According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a plastic bottle comprising a main body defining an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a plurality of vacuum flex panels, said lower portion including upper and lower label bumpers to receive a wrap around label; and a circumferential, recessed waist portion defining a transition between the upper and lower portions of the main body, wherein the upper portion includes a dome with a gripping section having a pair of opposed grip portions positioned above the waist and recessed into the upper portion. 
     One or more reinforcing or strengthening members, e.g., ribs, may be provided about or within the grip portions. For example, one or more laterally extending ribs (e.g., 1-4 or more) may be provided between the grip portions on the rear side of the bottle. An arch body and/or ribs may be provided about the perimeter or in the vicinity of the grip portion. The terms “vertical” and “lateral” or horizontal are taken when the bottle is resting upright on its base. 
     These and other aspects will be described in or apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a bottle according to one example of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front reverse perspective view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is the rear view thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is the front view thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is the top view thereof; 
         FIG. 6  is the bottom view thereof; 
         FIG. 7  is the side view thereof; 
         FIG. 8  is a simplified cross-sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a simplified cross-sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES 
     The following description is provided in relation to several examples that may share common characteristics and/or features. It is to be understood that one or more features of any one example may be combinable with one or more features of the other examples. In addition, any single feature or combination of features in any of the examples may constitute an additional aspect of the invention. 
       FIGS. 1-9  show examples of bottles made according to the present invention. In the figures, reference number  10  designates a plastic bottle or container, e.g. a polyethylene terephthalate (PET), hot-fillable or cold-fillable beverage bottle. Typically, a hot fillable bottle will include one or more (e.g., 4-6) vacuum flex panels for deformation portions  55 , while it is not necessary for cold fill bottles to include such vacuum panels. However, a hot fillable bottle can be used for cold fill applications. The bottle may have a filling capacity of 64 oz., 60 oz., 96 oz., or smaller than 60 oz. or larger than 96 oz., e.g., 128 oz., etc. Also, while described in conjunction with round bottles, the features described herein may also have application to other types of bottles, e.g., rectangular bottles, etc. 
     The bottle  10  includes a finish or neck  30  and a main body  40  that extends away from the neck  30 . The neck  30  may be crystallized to have a substantially opaque or white appearance, as is well known in the art. However, it is not necessary to provide a crystallized neck. The body portion  40  includes an upper portion  45  and a lower portion  50 , which in the exemplary embodiment has the vacuum flex panels or deformation portions  55 , which may be in the form of panel sections recessed into the lower portion, e.g., 1-5 mm or more. The vacuum deformation portions  55  accommodate internal forces tending to collapse the bottle inwardly due to filling the container  10  with a liquid at an elevated temperature, e.g., a pasteurization temperature. After the container  10  is hot-filled and capped, cooling of the liquid tends to collapse the vacuum deformation portions  55 . Each vacuum deformation portion  55  may include at least one, e.g., 2-3, stiffening structures  56 , e.g., truncated pyramids, to add rigidity, e.g., to prevent more than a certain amount of deformation of the vacuum deformation portions  55 . Upper portion  45  is shorter than the lower portion  50  in the illustrated embodiment, although they could have the same height or the lower portion  50  could be shorter than the upper portion  45 . A base or heel portion  25  is provided below the lower portion  50 . 
     The bottle  10  is manufactured, for example, using a blow-molding process which is well known. During blow-molding, a preform (not shown) is expanded and assumes the shape of an interior molding surface, i.e., a mold (not shown), to form a substantially transparent, biaxially-oriented bottle. The neck  30  of the preform is not expanded and remains as the neck  30  of the bottle  10 . The neck  30  includes threads and an open mouth  35  for receiving a screw-on cap (not shown). The lower portion of the preform is expanded to form the body portion  40  of the bottle  10 , including the upper portion  45  and the lower portion  50 . 
     While this example relates to hot-fill applications, it is also contemplated that the bottle  10  can be used in cold-fill applications. For example, the bottle can be made using an aseptic cold-fill line. 
     Further, the lower portion  50  of the bottle  10  is adapted to receive a label  61  ( FIG. 4 ) which is wrapped, e.g., shrink-wrapped, around the lower portion  50  and the vacuum deformation portions  55 . For example, the label  61  (only a portion is shown) wraps about the entire perimeter of the bottle  10 . The upper limit of label  61  is positioned below an upper transition shoulder  54  between the top and bottom portions  45 ,  50  of the body portion  40 . A lower transition shoulder  54 . 1  defines a lowermost boundary of the label  61 . The label  61  could include one or more separate parts to be individually applied to the label area. 
     A front side  45 F ( FIG. 4 ) of the upper portion includes a logo portion  53  positioned opposite to a rear side  45 R. The lower portion  50  includes the wrap around label  61  having a logo  61 . 1  that aligns or is coordinated (e.g., size wise) with the logo portion  53  provided on the upper portion  45  of the main body  10 . The logo portion  53  may possess a degree of vacuum deformation capacity. Logo portion  53  may be embossed or debossed into the upper portion  45 . In addition, or in the alternative, logo portion  53  may also take the form of an adhesive label. 
     Bottle  10  includes a shoulder or dome portion  60  and a gripping section  64  provided below shoulder  60 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , gripping section  64  includes a pair of grip portions  65  and a rear wall  65 . 1  that connects the grip portions  65 . Each grip portion  65  is inwardly recessed into the body portion  40 . For example, the grip portions  65  on opposite sides of the bottle  10  are spaced a distance that is less than the width of the upper portion of the bottle. Preferably, each grip portion  65  in particular a grip area  65 . 2  thereof, is recessed to a depth that progressively increases when moving from the rear side  65 R to the front side  65 F of the grip area  65 . 2 . For example, the depth d 12  at or near the rear side  65 R is about 2-10 mm, e.g., about 3-5, and the depth d 11  at or near the front side  65 F of the grip area  65 . 2  is about 5-25 mm, e.g., about 15-20 mm, as shown in FIG.  8 . In embodiments, the depth may be only a few millimeters, e.g., 1-5 mm, of a generally constant depth. 
     Main body  40  includes a recessed or pinched waist portion  57  that divides the upper and lower portions  45 ,  50 . As seen in  FIG. 9 , in cross section, the waist portion  57  has a generally round shape with generally flat portions  57 . 1  positioned just below or aligned with the grip portions  65 . This flattened section may influence the shape of the lower part of the grip portions as seen in the top view of  FIG. 5 . 
     Although not shown, the border of each grip portion  65  may include a ledge that improves gripability. Such a ledge if provided would substantially surrounds the entire grip portion  65 , although it is possible that less than the entire perimeter of the grip portion  65  includes the ledge. Further, although the grip portion  65  is shown as generally square or slightly trapezoidal with rounded corners, it can take the form of other shapes such as circles, diamonds, rectangles or other geometric shapes. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , in cross section, each gripping section  64  has three sides defining a generally U-shape, made up from the generally parallel grip areas  65 . 2  and the wall  65 . 1  connecting the grip areas  65 . 2 . The upper ends of the generally U-shape grip section  64  are flared outwards to connect to the curved or cylindrical front surface  45 F of the upper portion  45 . 
     Each grip area  65 . 2  that extends from an imaginary plane P, running parallel to and adjacent a longitudinal axis A of the main body  10 , to the rear wall  65 . 1  of the upper portion. As such, the grip portions  65  are oriented asymmetrically on the upper portion. A front wall  65 . 3  of the grip portion  65  transitions or flares into the front side  45 F of the upper portion  45  which is generally cylindrical and corresponds to a maximum diameter of the upper portion  45  at that point. The grip portions  65  include upper and lower side walls  65 U,  65 L ( FIG. 7 ) that, together with front wall  65 . 3 , transition the grip area  65 . 2  to surrounding portions of the upper portion  45  that are not recessed. 
     Each grip area  65 . 2  has at least one raised bead  90  (e.g., 1-5 mm) extending generally vertically. The at least one bead  90  may include at least three beads having the same or different heights. In the example shown in  FIG. 7 , the middle bead has a length which is longer than the adjacent beads. At least one of the beads is positioned along a transition between the grip area  65 . 2  and the front wall  65 . 3  of the grip portion  65 . 
     Each bead  90  may be angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the main body. The upper part of each bead has an upper portion angled at an angle a towards a front side of the upper portion. The angle a is about 1-15 degrees, e.g., about 3-5 degrees or about 5-10 degrees. 
     The rear wall  65 . 1  is dimensioned to engage a user&#39;s palm, with the user&#39;s fingers and thumb engage the opposed grip portions  65  or grip or areas  65 . 2 . The rear wall  65 . 1  includes at least one lateral rib  75  extending between the opposed grip portions  65 , for strength and grippability. The at least one lateral rib  75  may comprise at least 2-4 or more lateral ribs that are parallel to one another and the waist portion  57 . The lateral rib  75  is recessed into the rear portion (e.g., 1-5 mm), but it may protrude as well. 
     Bottle  10  may include an arch body  70  for each grip portion  65  positioned at least along a portion of a rear wall  65 . 1  of the grip portion  65 . The arch body  70  may be recessed or protruding, e.g., 1-5 mm, and is positioned between the rear side  65 R of each grip area  65 . 2  and the at least one lateral rib  75  that extends between the grip portions  65 . Each arch body  70  may also extend adjacent a top border  65 T of the grip portion  65 , as seen in  FIG. 7 . 
     Bottle  10  may include at least one rib  80  ( 1 - 5  ribs) positioned on a front side  45 F of the upper portion  45 , adjacent each said grip portion  65 . The at least one rib  80  extends between the neck  30  to the waist portion  57 . One of the ribs  80  may extend past arch body  70 , as seen in  FIG. 7 . The combination of ribs  75  and  80  along with arch body  70  (and even the logo portion  53 ) cooperates to provide improved strength (e.g., top loading strength), and/or resistance to squeezing and vacuum deformation forces, while at the same time requiring less material usage. 
     The bottle may also include a vacuum array, e.g., including one or more vacuum deformation portions positioned on the top portion  45  of the main body. For example, grip portion  65  and/or logo portion  53  may possess vacuum deformation capacity. 
     In this particular embodiment, bottle  10  has a volume capacity of about 96 oz. Exemplary dimensions d 1 -d 12  of the bottle are shown in the various drawings, for example: 
     d 1  is about 290-310 mm or about 300 mm; 
     d 2  is about 120-130 mm or about 125 mm; 
     d 3  is about 40-50 mm or about 45 mm; 
     d 4  is about 70-80 mm or about 75 mm; 
     d 5  is about 70-80 mm or about 75 mm; 
     d 6  is about 15-25 mm or about 20 mm; 
     d 7  is about 125-135 mm or about 120 mm; 
     d 8  is about 140-150 mm or about 145 mm; 
     d 9  is about 70-90 mm or about 75-80 mm; 
     d 10  is about 40-50 mm or about 45 mm; 
     d 11  is about 5-25 mm or about 15-20 mm; 
     d 12  is about 2-10 mm or about 3-5 mm; 
     d 13  is about 130-135 mm or about 135 mm; and 
     d 14  is about 60-70 mm or about 65 mm. 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that aspects of the present invention are applicable to other containers, such as round or polygon shaped, e.g., square, pentagon, hexagon, septagon, octagon, etc., bottles, which may have different dimensions and volume capacities (+/−10-20% or more). 
     The grip portion  65  is adapted to be grasped by the fingers and thumb of a person of average size, for example, an average woman having a size 7 hand. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the distance d 9  between the grip portions  65  is about 70-90 mm, e.g., about 75-80 mm, although the distance can range lower than 70 and higher than 90. However, the grip portion  65  is not limited for use by a person having average size hands. 
     As seen in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 8 , at least a portion the grip area  65 . 2  of the grip portion  65  is provided near or at the longitudinal axis A of the main body of the bottle to facilitate holding of and pouring liquid contents from the container  10 . However, as seen in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  7 , the grip portions  65  are above the waist portion  57  and therefore above the center of gravity. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while an exemplary hot-fellable container has been described, the disclosure is not limited to such and non-hot-fellable containers are also possible in which event vacuum panels would not be required. In addition, while PET containers made using a blow-molding process have been described, other materials and manufacturing processes are also possible. For example, the container can be made using extrusion molding or other stretch molding techniques, and the container could be made from materials such as, for example, polypropylene, high density polypropylene, polyolefin, styrene and other similar plastic materials.