BOTTLE NECK

Abstract

Bottle collar with a flange, the bottle comprising a body with a side wall and a shoulder arranged between the collar and the side wall, characterized in that the collar of the bottle comprises at least one protuberance, arranged: between the flange and the body, adjacent to the shoulder.

Claims

1. A bottle, comprising: a bottle collar with a flange, a body with a side wall and a shoulder arranged between the collar and the side wall, characterized in that the collar of the bottle comprises at least one protuberance, arranged: between the flange and the body, adjoining or contiguous to the shoulder, and in that the bottle collar comprises between the flange and the protuberance, a cylindrical part over 360°, free of protuberances.

2. The bottle according to claim 1 characterized in that the bottle is made of plastic.

3. The bottle, according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottle is a thin-walled bottle.

4. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein the protuberance extends along an angular sector in a plane normal to an axial direction of the bottle, the angular sector having an angular dimension of at least 40°, preferably at least 50°.

5. The bottle according to claim 4, wherein the angular dimension does not exceed 180°.

6. The bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical portion between the flange and the protuberance of height X1 of at least 2.5 mm and preferably at least 3.5 mm along an axial direction of the bottle.

7. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein the protuberance comprises a lower portion arranged on the shoulder.

8. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein the protuberance is solid.

9. The bottle according to claim 8, characterized in that the bottle is obtained from a preform comprising the collar, the flange and the protuberance under the flange.

10. The bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the protuberance is hollow.

11. The bottle according to claim 10, wherein the protuberance has a thickness: greater than or equal to 150 μm, preferably 200 μm, preferably 250 μm and very preferably greater than 300 μm, and/or less than or equal to 600 μm, preferably 500 μm, preferably 400 μm.

12. The bottle according to claim 10, characterized in that the bottle is obtained from a preform comprising the flange and free of protuberance under the flange.

13. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein: the protuberance has a first radius R1 relative to an axial direction of the bottle, the flange has a second radius R2 relative to an axial direction of the bottle, and wherein:
0.8×R2≤R1≤1.2×R2.

14. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein, in a cross section plane comprising an axial direction of the bottle and passing through the protuberance, a side surface of the protuberance has a radius of between 4 mm and 11 mm, and preferably between 5.5 mm and 8.5 mm.

15. The bottle according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a cap arranged to open and close the bottle, preferably in a reversible manner, said cap being of the type detachable from the bottle or of the type attached to the bottle, wherein the protuberance is arranged to receive therewithin and/or between it and the flange at least part of the cap when the bottle is open.

16. The bottle according to claim 15, wherein the protuberance is arranged to provide a support portion or to form a bearing counter-shape for the cap.

17. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein the protuberance bears a marking, preferably in relief.

18. The bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottle comprises a bottom, adapted to accommodate the collar of a similar bottle, the bottom having a first counter-shape to accommodate the collar of the similar bottle, the first counter-shape being provided with a second counter-shape to accommodate the protuberance of the collar of the similar bottle.

19. The bottle according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of protuberances between the flange and the shoulder, at least one of the protuberances, preferably each one of them, being adjoining or contiguous to the shoulder.

20. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein the protuberance is hollow and is arranged to be deformed by a user, to become a recessed part.

21. (canceled)

22. A bottle preform to manufacture a bottle according to claim 1.

23. An object comprising a bottle according to claim 1 and a device associated with the collar of the bottle, arranged to cooperate with the protuberance.

24. The object according to claim 23, characterized in that the device is a shell, a system for dispensing a fluid contained in the bottle, or a device for connecting the bottle to a circuit for dispensing a fluid contained in the bottle.

25. The object according to claim 24, characterized in that the device is a fluid dispenser contained in the bottle, a bubbler, a faucet or a valve.

Description

[0102] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly upon reading the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, wherein:

[0103] FIG. 1 represents a first perspective view of a shell to be coupled with a bottle to form an object to be handled by a user;

[0104] FIG. 2 represents a second perspective view of the shell of FIG. 1;

[0105] FIG. 3 represents a third perspective view of the shell of FIG. 1;

[0106] FIG. 4 represents a perspective view of a bottle to be coupled with the shell of FIG. 1 to form an object to be handled by a user;

[0107] FIG. 5 represents a side view of the bottle of FIG. 4;

[0108] FIG. 6 represents a phase of coupling the bottle of FIG. 4 with the shell of FIG. 1;

[0109] FIG. 7 represents a section of the bottle of FIG. 4 coupled with the shell of FIG. 1;

[0110] FIG. 8 represents a front view of the bottle of FIG. 4;

[0111] FIG. 9 represents a sectional view of the bottle of FIG. 4, in a plane normal to an axial direction of the bottle, and passing through the collar;

[0112] FIG. 10 represents a first preform produced by injection and which can be used to form the bottle of FIG. 4 by blow molding.

[0113] In general, the bottle according to the present disclosure comprises a protuberance housed under the flange. The protuberance can provide several functions. A coupling with a shell will be described below, but it is also possible to envisage interactions with a device, for example an apparatus for dispensing liquid contained in the bottle. Interactions or functions are described below.

[0114] First, FIGS. 1 to 3 represent a shell 10 to be coupled with a bottle and seen from different directions. In general, the shell 10 comprises an upper collar 11, a side wall 15, a bottom 14 and a shell shoulder 16 arranged between the upper collar 11 and the side wall 15.

[0115] In the represented example, the side wall 15 is cylindrical or substantially cylindrical (that is to say its external surface comprises parallel straight generatrices which follow a base curve, here a circle). The bottom 14 has for its part a lower plate, which allows laying the shell 10 along a vertical position, as will be discussed in FIG. 7.

[0116] Furthermore, the shell 10 comprises a passage opening 12 mainly visible in FIGS. 1 and 3, arranged in the shell shoulder 16 and an introduction opening 13 mainly visible in FIG. 2.

[0117] Finally, the upper collar 11 is a C-shaped (or U-shaped) open collar, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The upper collar 11 has a passage dimension D2 according to its largest internal diameter and a passage dimension D′2 at its opening. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the opening of the upper collar 11 (of dimension D′2) leads to or opens into the passage opening 12, and it can be noted that the passage dimension D1 of the passage opening 12 is greater than the passage dimensions D2 and D′2 of the upper collar 11. The details will be explained in FIG. 6 below.

[0118] FIGS. 4, 5, 8 and 9 represent a bottle 20 which comprises a collar 21 (or neck), a shoulder 28, a side wall 24 and a bottom 25. In the represented example, the collar 21 is threaded to receive a cap 26 (visible in FIG. 6), and a flange 22 is provided under the thread, and a protuberance 27 is arranged under the flange 22. The bottle 20 also contains a liquid food (non-carbonated mineral water for example).

[0119] As explained above, the collar 21 is threaded to receive a cap 26, but other closing means can be envisaged (a lid, an hinged cap with elastic interlocking, etc.). FIG. 5 represents an external dimension D3 of the flange 22, and this external dimension D3 is smaller than the passage dimension D1 of the passage opening 12 of the shell 10, but greater than the passage dimension D2 or D′2 of the upper collar 11 of the shell 10.

[0120] Indeed, and as represented in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is provided that the shell 10 and the bottle 20 can be coupled and held together. Particularly, the upper collar 11 of the shell 10 is provided to elastically interlock with the collar 21 of the bottle 20. In the example represented, the upper collar 11 of the shell 10 has dimensions adapted to elastically interlock on the bottle 20, under the flange 22.

[0121] To this end, and as visible in FIGS. 1 and 3, the upper collar 11 of the shell 10 is formed over more than 180° (for example 270°, at ±45°) so as to be able to move away from, receive and retain the collar 21 of the bottle 20, in particular by retaining the flange

[0122] To couple the bottle 20 with the shell 10, and as shown in FIG. 6, it suffices for the user to introduce the bottle 20 through the introduction opening 13 of the shell 10, to thread the collar 21 capped with the cap 26 of the bottle 20 in the passage opening 12 of the shell 10 (because the external dimension D3 of the flange 22 (and of the cap 26) is smaller than the passage dimension D1 of the passage opening 12) and then to tilt the bottle 20 in order to finish threading the bottom 25 into the shell 10 and especially elastically interlocking the collar 21 of the bottle 20 into the upper collar 11 of the shell 10 (because the passage dimension D′2 and D2 of the upper collar 11 is smaller than the dimension of the collar 21 and than the external dimension D3 of the flange 22).

[0123] In detail, the upper collar 11 of the shell has a cylindrical rim of a few millimeters, the bottle 20 comprises the flange 20, and a cylindrical collar portion arranged between the flange 22 and the shoulder of the bottle 20, and the cylindrical rim of the upper collar 11 squeezes the cylindrical collar portion of the bottle 20, while coming into axial abutment with the flange 22, which provides an assembly of the shell 10 and the bottle 20.

[0124] To release the bottle 20 from the shell 10, it suffices to apply a transverse, lateral or skew force on the cap 26 to “unclip” the collar 21 of the bottle 20 out of the upper collar 11 of the shell 10. It is also possible to arrange an orifice in the lower part of the shell 10, opposite the introduction opening 13, to allow the user to push the bottle laterally out of the shell 10, with a finger.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 7, once coupled, the shell 10 and the bottle 20 form an object 30 easy to handle for a user. The bottom 14 of the shell 10 is flat, so that the object 30 has a stable vertical position when it is laid on a work plane. In addition, a return 16 is provided on the lower part of the shell 10 to secure the coupling and the holding of the bottle 20—shell 10 assembly.

[0126] As already mentioned above, the cap 26 is screwed on the bottle 20. To provide a rotational stop of the bottle 20 relative to the shell 10, a protuberance 27 is provided on the bottle 20 to be housed in the opening of the upper collar 11 of the shell 10. Thus, a torque applied on the bottle 20 is transmitted to the shell 10 via the protuberance 27. It is possible to envisage other implementations for such indexing, such as a collar 21 of the bottle 20 with a non-circular section, crenellations at the level of the upper collar 11 which engage in counter-shapes of the flange 22.

[0127] Unrelated to the screwing/unscrewing of the cap 26, it is also possible to take advantage of the angular indexing between bottle 20 and shell 10 provided by the protuberance 27 engaged in the opening of the upper collar 11, to print or affix markings on the bottle 20, so that they are visible after coupling, and face the passage opening 12 or the introduction opening 13, or any other opening of the shell 10.

[0128] Furthermore, it can be noted that the protuberance 27 is adjacent to the shoulder 28 of the bottle 20, so that the wall of the shell 10 at the level of the flange 11 or of the shell shoulder 16 cannot slip between the shoulder 28 and the protuberance 27 of the bottle 20. The rotational stop and stop position are well controlled.

[0129] FIG. 8 shows a front view of the bottle 20 and of the protuberance 27. The flange 22 has a diameter D3, and the collar under the flange has for its part a diameter D4 less than D3, over a height X1 of 2.5 mm at least, and over 360°. Thus, a gripping by a clamp is possible under the flange 22, even in the presence of the protuberance 27. In this front view, it can be noted that the protuberance 27 has a width smaller than the value of the diameter D4 under the flange, so that it is possible to guide the bottle 20 during the manufacture via rails which bear under the flange 22.

[0130] It can also be noted in FIG. 5, which shows the bottle 20 from the side, that the protuberance has a radial dimension similar to that of the flange 20 and that it does not protrude. Particularly, when referring to FIG. 9 which shows the bottle 20 in section along a plane normal to the axial direction of the bottle and passing between the protuberance 27 and the flange 22, the radial dimension A3 of the protuberance 27 is substantially equal to D3/2. On the other hand, the rest of the collar has a radial dimension A2 smaller than A3.

[0131] FIG. 9 also shows that the protuberance 27 extends along an angular sector A1, with a value of approximately 90° here, but values between 30 and 150° can for example be envisaged.

[0132] These implementations allow proposing a reusable shell 10 that is fairly rigid or at least not too flexible to be held (typically with a 20 Newton force) without significantly deforming, and proposing a very thin disposable bottle 20, and therefore too soft or too flexible to be held (typically with the same 20 Newton force) without deforming. This coupling allows proposing a disposable and recyclable bottle 20 manufactured with little material and yet with correct ergonomics, since the shell 10 is sufficiently rigid and reusable.

[0133] A strap or a wrist strap or textile loop and hook fastener strips (known under the trademark “Velcro”, or called scratch) can also be provided to allow the consumer to transport the object 30 in various activities (sport, hiking, etc.). It is also possible to provide for one or several grips on the shell 10.

[0134] The bottle 20, the collar and/or the body of the bottle is preferably formed from a preferably thin-walled thermoplastic material. The material is preferably a polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly-trimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyethylene furanoate (PEF) or poly-trimethylene furanoate (PTF). The material can be an at least partially recycled material. The bottle is preferably shaped by an Injection Blow Molding process, for example an Injection Stretch Blow Molding process. In these processes, a solid preform (represented in FIG. 10) is manufactured by injection of the material into a mold and then by cooling, the preform is then heated in order to soften it, optionally stretched longitudinally using a rod, then stretched axially and longitudinally by blow molding in a mold in the shape of the bottle.

[0135] These polyester materials and methods are known to those skilled in the art. Their combination allows obtaining thin, light walls, with good mechanical resistance and good sealing or other barrier properties. These properties are due to the orientation of the macromolecular chains at least partially inducing crystallization. In addition to saving material, these polyesters have the advantage of being easily recyclable. The recovery, sorting and regeneration sectors are organized. The regeneration can be a mechanical recycling involving melting and shaping, for example into granules prior to new plastics processing operations such as the injection blow molding or chemical recycling involving depolymerization, recovery of monomers or precursors, then a new polymerization.

[0136] The implementation and the use of the thin-walled bottles of the invention consequently presents a very advantageous environmental record, in addition to good practicality, in particular in relation to the implementation of non-activatable and thicker conventional PET bottles.

[0137] The thin wall is preferably such that the body of the bottle has a thickness within a range from 30 μm to 150 μm, for example in a range from 30 μm to 50 μm or from 50 μm to 70 μm or from 70 μm to 100 μm, or from 100 μm to 125 μm or from 125 μm to 150 μm, preferably in a range from 100 μm to 125 μm. The thickness mentioned is the thickness at least at one point of the body, preferably the average thickness over a portion representing at least 50% in length or in surface of the body, preferably at least 80%, preferably the average thickness over the whole body. The bottom of the bottle can be slightly thicker than the body, for example up to 50% thicker than the body, for example up to 20% thicker. The bottom can also have a cup typically corresponding to the bottom of the preform and at its injection point.

[0138] The thickness can be adjusted by adapting, for a target bottle volume, the characteristics of the preform, in particular its shape and the thickness of its walls, as well as the stretching characteristics. It is mentioned that the thickness of the preform walls, the geometry of the preform such as its length, its diameter and its bottom shape determine, together with the collar that may form a bottle neck, the weight. The unfilled, unclosed bottle and/or the preform generally have an identical weight. Subsequently, the weights given refer either to the bottle weights or to the preform weights. For a 75 cl bottle, it is advantageously possible to implement preforms from 8 to 13 g. The overall stretching rate can for example be comprised between 12.0 and 27.0, preferably between 15.0 and 20.0. The axial stretching rate (typically the ratio between the height of the bottle and the length of the stretchable part of the preform, typically the distance under the collar) can for example be comprised between 3.0 and 4.5. The radial stretching rate (typically ratio between the diameter of the bottle and the diameter of the stretchable part of the preform) can for example be comprised between 4.0 and 6.0. It is mentioned that the overall stretching rate is generally equal to the product of the axial stretching rate and of the radial stretching rate.

[0139] Good results are for example obtained with the characteristics of the Table 1 below:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Preform type Preform with an unstretched collar with a screw pitch and a flange Preform weight 12.8 g Collar weight 3.68 g Bottle type Cylindrical-shaped bottle with circular section and concave or flat bottom Bottle diameter 71.5 mm Bottle height 238.5 mm Bottle volume 75 cl Overall stretching rate 17.96 Radial stretching rate 4.35 Axial stretching rate 4.13 Thickness at the level 110 μm of the body Blow molding preform 100° C. temperature Blow molding pressure 30 Bars

[0140] In detail, FIG. 10 represents a preform 40 produced by injection and which can be used in a blow molding process to produce the bottle 20 of FIG. 4. The preform 40 has a threaded upper part CF which will not be stretched during the blow molding process and which therefore has the same dimensions as the collar of the bottle 20. Particularly, the presence of the flange 22 which is of the same dimensions as that of the bottle 20 can be noted. A cylindrical part separates the flange 22 from a slightly tapered part Ep, adjacent to a lower part Co of the preform.

[0141] Typically, the part Ep of the preform approximately corresponds to the shoulder 28 of the bottle 20, and the part Co approximately corresponds to the side wall 24 and to the bottom 25 of the bottle 29. It is important to note that the cylindrical area between the part Ep and the flange 22 of the preform 40 is free of bosses or protuberances. Indeed, the protuberance 27 will be formed during the blow molding operation in this exemplary embodiment.

[0142] As seen above, the preform 40 or 40A can be formed in a thermoplastic material, and it can have: [0143] a total height of between 50 mm and 80 mm; [0144] a weight of between 7 g and 17 g; [0145] a thickness at the level of the collar of between 1 mm and 2 mm; [0146] a thickness at the level of the part Co of between 1.6 mm and 2.8 mm; [0147] a flange 22 with a diameter of between 29 mm and 35 mm and a thickness of between 0.7 mm and 1.5 mm; [0148] a height of the part CF of between 10 mm and 15 mm.

[0149] As seen above, a protuberance 27 arranged under the flange 22 and adjacent to the shoulder 28 of the bottle allows reliably coupling the bottle 20 to a shell 10.

[0150] On the basis of the protuberance 27 arranged under the flange 22 and adjacent to the shoulder 28 of the bottle, other functions of interactions with devices or caps can be implemented.

[0151] It is in particular possible to: [0152] orient a faucet mounted on the bottle during the manufacture of bottles filled and plugged with the faucet, or during the mounting of a faucet, for example reusable, by a user after opening the bottle. [0153] provide a support or a final abutment to the opening of an attached, for example hinged, cap; [0154] provide the user with a visual indication of the direction or the opening area of an attached, for example hinged, cap; [0155] provide a receiving or accommodating area for a cap attached with a hinge or a soft link connecting it to the bottle, [0156] provide an abutment or a snap fitted cap blocking.

[0157] During the operations of grouping bottles 20, for example using secondary packaging, the protuberance 27 can be used in order to: [0158] block in rotation and/or axially the bottle 20 relative to a packaging or handling support like a cardboard or plastic handle or like a cardboard pickup; [0159] orient the bottles relative to the same packaging or handling support like a cardboard or plastic handle or like a cardboard pickup; [0160] lock identical bottles stacked on top of each other, the bottom of a bottle comprising a counter-shape to review and engage with the protuberance of a bottle located below in the stack.

[0161] During the final use, the protuberance 27 can be used in order to: [0162] block the bottle in rotation relative to an outer device such as a shell; [0163] provide a presence detection area or a good arrangement for a mechanical or even optical sensor; [0164] visually or optically check a water level in the bottle, representative of a storage and/or use period, for example before initial use; [0165] identify one bottle among others by crushing the protuberance.

[0166] Furthermore, the protuberance 27 can also be used to bear a marking, a logo for example in order to provide traceability or indication of material for a particular recycling in the case of specific material. The protuberance 27 can itself be used as a marking for example in order to provide traceability or indication of material for a particular recycling in the case of specific material.

[0167] It will be understood that various modifications and/or improvements obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the different embodiments of the invention described in the present description without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.