Drip-free glass bottles having a circumferential channel and methods of making and using such bottles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10239672-B2
Application number	US-201715598097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	May 17, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Described herein is a glass bottle configured to improve the mechanics of liquid flow and prevent drip initiation. Additionally, the glass bottle eliminates dripping during pouring to enable drip-free pouring. The dripping is prevented over a full range of pouring angles, which vary depending on the amount of liquid held in the glass bottle. A method of making the glass bottle and a method of enabling drip-free pouring using the glass bottle are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A glass bottle having a neck terminating in a shoulder, said neck comprising:
a lip extending from an inner edge defining a substantially round bottle orifice to an outer edge, wherein said lip forms a concentric ring around the bottle orifice;
a flow guide extending downward from the outer edge of the lip and having an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the flow guide is substantially flat and extends downward from the outer edge of the lip in a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle and wherein the flow guide is about 1-3.5 mm wide, as measured from the top of the flow guide to the bottom of the flow guide along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle;
a recessed circumferential channel located immediately below the flow guide, said channel having an upper edge that defines the lower edge of the flow guide and having a lower edge, wherein the channel is about 1-3 mm wide, as measured from the top of the channel to the bottom of the channel along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle, and the channel is about 0.75-2.5 mm deep, as measured along a line perpendicular to the center axis of the bottle;
an interior bore that is substantially cylindrical from at least the region containing the circumferential channel upward to the inner edge of the lip;
an optional neck collar extending outward from the neck and forming a raised band around the exterior surface of the neck and located below the circumferential channel; and
an optional screw thread assembly extending outward from the neck and forming raised screw threads around the exterior surface of the neck and located below the circumferential channel.

2. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the inner edge of the lip and the outer edge of the lip have a radiused edge with a radius of curvature of about 0.5-2.5 mm and with a height of about 0.5-2 mm, as measured from the top of the radiused edge to the bottom of the radiused edge along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle.

3. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the lip is formed as a substantially flat horizontal surface.

4. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the lip has a domed or convex top extending greater than 0.0 mm above the flow guide.

5. The bottle according to claim 4 , wherein the lip has an upward slope, as measured from the outer edge of the lip inward toward the inner edge of the lip, that is greater than zero degrees and no greater than about 30 degrees.

6. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the flow guide is about 1-2 mm wide.

7. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the flow guide is coated with a hydrophobic coating.

8. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the flow guide is substantially free of surface irregularities.

9. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the channel is located about 1-3.5 mm below the outer edge of the lip.

10. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the channel has a cross-sectional profile that is substantially cup-shaped.

11. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the channel has a cross-sectional profile that is substantially V-shaped.

12. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the channel has a cross-sectional profile that is substantially square-shaped.

13. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the slope of the wall forming the upper side of the channel measured at the wall's midpoint, relative to the center axis of the bottle, is about 60-90 degrees.

14. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the channel has a minimally radiused edge with a radius of curvature of about 0.05-0.5 mm, as measured from the top of the radiused edge to the bottom of the radiused edge along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle.

15. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the neck collar and screw thread assembly are absent.

16. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the neck consists essentially of the lip, the flow guide, the channel, and a substantially flat region that extends from immediately below the channel to the shoulder.

17. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the neck collar and/or the screw thread assembly is present.

18. The bottle according to claim 17 , wherein the upper edge of the neck collar or screw thread assembly is at least about 2 mm below the outer edge of the lip.

19. The bottle according to claim 17 , wherein the lower edge of the channel is located no more than about 3 mm above the upper surface of the neck collar or screw thread assembly.

20. The bottle according to claim 19 , wherein the lower edge of the channel is contiguous with the upper surface of the neck collar or screw thread assembly.

21. The bottle according to claim 17 , wherein the neck collar or screw thread assembly is about 0.5-2 cm wide, as measured from the upper edge of the neck collar/screw thread assembly to the lower edge of the neck collar/screw thread assembly along the center axis of the bottle.

22. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the edges, selected from the group consisting of the inner edge of the lip, the outer edge of the lip, the lower edge of the channel, the upper edge of the neck collar if present, and the lower edge of the neck collar if present, has a radiused edge with a radius of curvature of about 0.5-2.5 mm and with a height of about 0.5-2 mm, as measured from the top of the radiused edge to the bottom of the radiused edge along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle.

23. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the flow guide is about 1.5±0.5 mm wide, as measured from the top of the flow guide to the bottom of the flow guide along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle; and the upper surface of the channel is substantially perpendicular to the center of the axis of the bottle.

24. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the lip has a domed or convex top extending greater than about 2 mm above the flow guide; the flow guide is about 1.5 mm wide, as measured from the top of the flow guide to the bottom of the flow guide along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle; and the channel is about 2.5 mm wide, as measured from the top of the channel to the bottom of the channel along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle.

25. The bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of (a) the height of the lip, as measured from the inner edge of the lip to the outer edge of the lip along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle, (b) the width of the flow guide, as measured from the top of the flow guide to the bottom of the flow guide along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle, and (c) the width of the channel, as measured from the top of the channel to the bottom of the channel along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle, is, respectively, 1.0:0.8:1.3.

26. A method for enabling drip free pouring, said method comprising:
providing a glass bottle having a neck comprising (i) a lip extending from an inner edge defining a substantially round bottle orifice to an outer edge, wherein said lip forms a concentric ring around the bottle orifice; (ii) a flow guide extending downward from the outer edge of the lip and having an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the flow guide is substantially flat and extends downward from the outer edge of the lip in a line parallel to the cen

Assignees

• Univ Brandeis

Inventors

• Perlman Daniel

Classifications

• B65D47/06

  with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages (with slidable spouts B65D47/26) · CPC title

• B65D23/06 Primary

  Integral drip catchers or drip-preventing means · CPC title

• B65D47/40 Primary

  with drip catchers or drip-preventing means · CPC title