Plastic bottle with an annular gripping portion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894626-B2
Application number	US-201616063480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

The side wall, extending below a shoulder of the thermoplastic bottle, has a gripping portion formed substantially in the middle of the bottle body and includes a first line and a second line each defined in a vertical symmetry plane. The second line has a second point at minimal distance ds2 between the side wall and the central axis, while the first line has a first point at minimal distance dsl between the first line and the central axis. For these particular points in the gripping portion: ·ds2<ds1·hs1<hs2 A thick portion is provided at and above the second point.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermoplastic bottle comprising:
a bottom wall defining a support plane;
a neck provided with an opening of the bottle;
a shoulder connected to the neck; and
a side wall extending longitudinally around a central axis of the bottle between the bottom wall and the shoulder, the side wall having a symmetry plane including the central axis, the side wall having a first line and a second line where the side wall intersects with the symmetry plane,
wherein the first line is provided with a first point at a radial distance dsl from the central axis which is a minimal distance between the first line and the central axis,
wherein the second line is provided with a second point at a radial distance ds2 from the central axis, which is a minimal distance between the second line and the central axis and a minimal distance between the side wall and the central axis,
wherein the following relations are satisfied:
ds2<ds1
hs1<hs2,

where hs1 is a height of the first point and hs2 is a height of the second point, each of the height hs1 of the first point and the height hs2 of the second point being measured parallel to the central axis from the support plane, and
wherein the side wall comprises at the second line at least one thick portion that extends at and above the second point, said thick portion having a thickness that is greater than a thickness provided in the first line at a same height as the height hs2 of the second point.

2. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 1 , wherein said thick portion has a minimum thickness, which is at least 20 μm greater than the thickness provided at the first line at the same height as the height hs2 of the second point.

3. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the second point and the first point are parts of a gripping portion having an annular recess maximally recessed at the second point, the gripping portion comprising:
the thick portion, and
a central region defined between an annular lower limit extending at a constant height identical to the height of the first point and an annular upper limit extending at a constant height identical to the height of the second point,
wherein a wall thickness in the central region, at any point along the first line and the second line, is superior or equal to 250 μm.

4. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the side wall comprises:
a lower portion adjacent to the bottom wall and extending symmetrically around the central axis,
a first annular part connected to the lower portion, the first annular part and the lower portion intersecting and interconnecting at a circular peripheral intersection line that is perpendicular to the central axis, and
a second annular part having an upper annular end perpendicular to the central axis,
wherein the second point and the first point are located in a determined annular line tilted with respect to the support plane, the determined annular line defining a peripheral intersection between the first annular part and the second annular part, at a distance from the upper annular end of the second annular part, the first annular part and the second annular part longitudinally tapering in opposite directions and defining a gripping portion of the bottle.

5. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 4 , wherein the determined annular line is a continuously rounded annular line, and
wherein the following relation is verified:
ds 1 −ds 2≥4 mm.

6. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 4 , wherein the determined annular line is comprised in a single virtual plane.

7. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the second line has an upper point above the second point, the second line having, above the second point, a longitudinal profile provided with a maximal radial extension measured perpendicularly to the central axis at the upper point,
wherein the thermoplastic bottle has a height extension measured parallel to the central axis between the second point and said upper point of the second line, and
wherein a ratio between the maximal radial extension and said height extension is comprised between 1:8 and 2:5.

8. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the side wall is provided with a gripping portion connected to the shoulder at a circular junction, the shoulder extending symmetrically around the central axis.

9. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the second point and the first point are defined in a same annular recess for gripping that is tilted with respect to the support plane.

10. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 1 , further comprising a decorative label extending below the neck in an upstanding position of the bottle, in order to cover the side wall, the side wall having a peripheral outer face in direct contact with the decorative label,
wherein the side wall is deprived from any projection protruding from the peripheral outer face.

11. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 10 , wherein the decorative label is a one piece plastic sleeve that includes a shrink film being in contact with the first line and the second line.

12. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 4 , wherein the second point and the first point are defined in a same annular recess for gripping that is tilted with respect to the support plane.

13. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 4 , further comprising a one piece plastic sleeve that includes a shrink film being in contact with the first line and the second line, in order to form a decorative label that surrounds and covers the side wall.

14. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the following relationships is satisfied:
0.02≤( ds 1 −ds 2)/ D≤ 0.10,

where D is a greatest outer diameter of the thermoplastic bottle.

15. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 4 , wherein the following relationships is satisfied:
0.02≤( ds 1 −ds 2)/ D≤ 0.10,

where D is a greatest outer diameter of the thermoplastic bottle.

16. The thermoplastic bottle according to claim 4 , wherein the determined annular line is tilted with respect to the support plane with an angle value that is in range 10-30°.

Assignees

• Gervais Danone Sa
• Sa Des Eaux Minerales Devian Et En Abrege “S A E M E”

Inventors

• Chivrac Frédéric
• Orchard Alex James
• Besson Jean-Paul

Classifications

• B65D21/00

  Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity · CPC title

• B65D1/02 Primary

  Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents (thermally-insulated containers B65D81/38, A47J41/00; {feeding-bottles A61J9/00}) · CPC title

• B65D23/102

  Gripping means formed in the walls, e.g. roughening, cavities, projections · CPC title

• B65D1/0223 Primary

  characterised by shape · CPC title

• B65D2501/0018

  Ribs · CPC title