OPTIMIZATION METHOD OF NON-OPTIMIZED GLASS BOTTLES AND OPTIMIZED GLASS BOTTLE

Abstract

Optimization method of a non-optimized glass bottle and optimized glass bottle, the optimized glass bottle comprising a base (11), a body portion (12), a shoulder portion (13), and a neck portion (14) with a mouth (15) providing access to a hollow interior thereof, wherein the body portion (12) presents axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) at least in its lower two-thirds, simplifying its manufacture, handling, and/or labeling; and the neck portion (14) presents axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) at least in its upper two-thirds, simplifying its manufacture, handling, labeling, and/or capping; wherein the shoulder portion (13) has a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis (E), that is oblong at least in its central part farthest away from the body and neck portions (12, 14), maximizing the visual front of the bottle (10) in relation to the inner volume of the shoulder portion (13).

Claims

1. An optimized glass bottle comprising the following parts arranged in succession along an axial axis and joined in continuity as a single element: a base, a body portion, a shoulder portion, and a neck portion with a mouth providing access to a hollow interior of the bottle, wherein the body portion presents, at least in lower two-thirds thereof, axial symmetry around the axial axis with a circular cross-section or with a polygonal or radial repeating pattern around the axial axis with at least four repetitions,; the neck portion presents, at least in upper two-thirds thereof, axial symmetry around the axial axis with a circular cross-section or with a polygonal or radially repeating pattern around the axial axis with at least four repetitions; and the shoulder portion has a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis, that is oblong at least in its central part farthest away from the body and neck portions, maximizing the visual front of the bottle in relation to the inner volume of the shoulder portion.

2. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the upper third of the body portion also presents axial symmetry around the axial axis, and at the point where the body portion and the shoulder portion meet, the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis presents axial symmetry around the axial axis.

3. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the lower third of the neck portion also presents axial symmetry around the axial axis, and at the point where the neck portion and the shoulder portion meet, the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis presents axial symmetry around the axial axis.

4. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the upper third of the body portion also has a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis, that is oblong, and at the point where the body portion and the shoulder portion meet, the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis is oblong, thereby increasing the area of the bottle in which the visual front of the bottle is maximized in relation to the inner volume.

5. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the lower third of the neck portion also has a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis, that is oblong, and at the point where the neck portion and the shoulder portion meet, the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis is oblong, thereby increasing the area of the bottle in which the visual front of the bottle is maximized in relation to the inner volume.

6. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the oblong cross-section of the bottle, perpendicular to the axial axis, having a greater difference between the width dimension and depth dimension is at most 30% wider than it is deep, or at most 25% wider than it is deep, or at most 20% wider than it is deep.

7. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the oblong cross-section of the bottle, perpendicular to the axial axis, having a greater difference between the width dimension and depth dimension is at least 5% wider than it is deep, or at least 10% wider than it is deep.

8. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the weight of the empty bottle in grams divided by the internal capacity of the bottle in milliliters provides a glass efficiency ratio equal to or less than 0.66, or equal to or less than 0.63, or equal to or less than 0.60.

9. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the segments of the body portion and/or of the neck portion presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis have a cross-section, perpendicular the axial axis, with constant shape and size.

10. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the segments of the body portion and/or of the neck portion presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis have a cross-section with constant shape and increasing or decreasing size, from the base to the mouth-.

11. (canceled)

12. The optimized glass bottle according to claim 1, wherein the bottle includes a label only in the segments of the body portion and/or of the neck portion presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis.

13. An optimization method for optimizing a non-optimized glass bottle which comprises: generating a virtual geometric model of a non-optimized bottle comprising a base, a body portion, a shoulder portion, and a neck portion arranged in succession along an axial axis and joined in continuity, the neck portion including a mouth providing access to a hollow interior of the bottle, the virtual geometric model of the non-optimized bottle presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis with a circular cross-section or with a polygonal or radially repeating pattern around the axial axis with at least four repetitions along the entire length of the body, shoulder, and neck portions; characterized in that the method further comprises: modifying the virtual geometric model of the non-optimized bottle by deforming at least one central region of the shoulder portion causing a cross-section of the central region of the shoulder portion perpendicular to the axial axis to become oblong losing its axial symmetry, and keeping the volume of the hollow interior, the outer geometry in at least the lower two-thirds of the body portion and in at least the upper two-thirds of the neck portion unchanged, obtaining a virtual geometric model of an optimized bottle; producing optimized bottles by at least one manufacturing mold generated from the virtual geometric model of the optimized bottle.

14. The optimization method according to claim 13, wherein deformation of the central region of the shoulder portion is performed by keeping the area contained within the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis in the optimized bottle the same as in the non-optimized bottle.

15. The optimization method according to claim 13, wherein deformation of the central region of the shoulder portion is performed by keeping the area contained within the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis in the optimized bottle smaller than in the non-optimized bottle, and then reducing the general thickness of the walls of the bottle to keep the inner volume of the bottle unchanged.

16. The optimization method according to claim 13, wherein the modification of the virtual geometric model of the non-optimized bottle also comprises deforming at least the upper third of the body portion and/or the lower third of the neck portion causing a cross-section thereof, perpendicular to the axial axis, to become oblong, causing the meeting of the shoulder portion with the body portion and/or the neck portion to become oblong and keeping the volume of the hollow interior, thereby increasing the area of the bottle in which the visual front of the bottle is maximized in relation to the inner volume.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0055] The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood based on the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the attached drawings which should be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in which:

[0056] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a front and side view of one and the same bottle according to a first embodiment of the invention in which the body portion and the neck portion have a constant cross-section along the length thereof, and in which only the shoulder portion presents an oblong cross-section, and in which the profile which the shoulder portion would have if it were to present axial symmetry has been indicated with a discontinuous line;

[0057] FIGS. 2A and 2B show a front and side view of one and the same bottle according to a first embodiment of the invention in which the body portion and the neck portion have a cross-section increasing towards the shoulder portion, and in which the shoulder portion, an upper part of the body portion, and a lower region of the neck portion, which are adjacent to the shoulder portion, have an oblong cross-section, and in which the profile which the shoulder portion would have if it were to present axial symmetry has been indicated with a discontinuous line;

[0058] FIG. 3 shows three cross-sections of one and the same bottle with a cylindrical general geometry, corresponding to a cross-section of the body portion, a cross-section of the shoulder portion, and a cross-section of the neck portion;

[0059] FIG. 4 shows three cross-sections of one and the same bottle with a polyhedral general geometry having a square cross-section with beveled corners, corresponding to a cross-section of the body portion, a cross-section of the shoulder portion, and a cross-section of the neck portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0060] The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood based on the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the attached drawings which should be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner.

[0061] The optimized glass bottle object of the present invention is defined by a continuous glass wall forming a base (11), a body portion (12), a shoulder portion (13), and a neck portion (14) with a mouth (15) providing access to a hollow interior of the bottle (10). All these parts of the bottle are arranged in succession around an axial axis (E) and define a container capable of holding liquids when it is in an upright position, with the mouth (15) at the upper end thereof. The body portion (12) has a cross-section greater than the neck portion (14), thereby defining a greater inner volume in the body portion (12) than in the neck portion (14). The shoulder portion (13) connects the body portion (12) and the neck portion (14), performing a transition from the size of the cross-section of the body portion (12) to the size of the cross-section of the neck portion (14), and determines a sudden narrowing of the cross-section of the hollow interior of the bottle (10).

[0062] According to one embodiment, the body portion (12) presents axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) in its lower two-thirds, i.e., in the two-thirds of its length closer to the base (11), and the neck portion (14) presents axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) in its upper two-thirds, i.e., in the two-thirds of its length closer to the mouth (15), simplifying the manufacturing, handling, labeling, and/or capping of the bottle (10).

[0063] According to this embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the entire shoulder portion (13) has a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis (E), that is oblong, i.e., with a width dimension (D1) greater than depth dimension (D2) measured in a plane perpendicular to the axial axis (E), and this oblong cross-section also extends into parts of the upper third of the body portion (12) and of the lower third of the neck portion (14) which are adjacent to the shoulder portion (13).

[0064] This feature allows the visual front of the bottle (10) to be maximized in relation to the inner volume of the shoulder portion (13).

[0065] According to another alternative embodiment, the entire body portion (12) and the entire neck portion (14) present axial symmetry around the axial axis (E), and only a central portion of the shoulder portion (13) presents a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis (E), that is oblong. Therefore, said shoulder portion (13) will present, in its contact area with the body portion (12) and the neck portion (14), axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) and will perform a transition from the section with axial symmetry to the section with an oblong shape and again to the section with axial symmetry.

[0066] According to this embodiment, the effect of maximizing the visible front of the bottle is only limited to the central region, in vertical direction Z, of the shoulder portion (13).

[0067] Evidently, embodiments which are in between the two examples described above are also contemplated, in which the area of the bottle (10) presenting a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis (E), that is oblong extends until covering not only the central region of the shoulder portion (13), but also the lower and/or upper portions of the shoulder portion (13), as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and even parts of the lower third of the neck portion (14) and/or parts of the upper third of the body portion (12), as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0068] It is also contemplated that the region of the body portion (12) and of the neck portion (14) presents an oblong section that is not one-third, but rather a smaller percentage such as, for example, one-fourth or one-fifth.

[0069] According to one embodiment of the invention, the oblong cross-section of the bottle (10), perpendicular to the axial axis (E), having a greater difference between the width dimension (D1) and depth dimension (D2), is at most 30% wider than it is deep, or at most 25% wider than it is deep, or at most 20% wider than it is deep.

[0070] Alternatively or additionally, the oblong cross-section of the bottle (10), perpendicular to the axial axis (E), presenting a greater difference between the width dimension (D1) and depth dimension (D2), can be at least 5% wider than it is deep, or at least 10% wider than it is deep.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) have a cross-section, perpendicular the axial axis (E), with constant shape and size. Therefore, in these segments the glass wall of the bottle will be completely vertical and parallel to the axial axis (E).

[0072] Alternatively, it is proposed for the segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) to have a cross-section with a constant shape and increasing or decreasing size from the base (11) to the mouth (15).

[0073] Therefore, in these segments the glass wall of the bottle will have an inclination with respect to the axial axis (E), typically an inclination of less than 15?.

[0074] For example, it is proposed for the segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) to have a cross-section, perpendicular the axial axis, with a circular shape or a polygonal shape such as, for example, square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc., or with a radial repeating pattern around the axial axis with at least four repetitions such as, for example, in the form of honeycombs or grooving.

[0075] Preferably, the bottle (10) will include a label only in the segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E).

[0076] The segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) allow deviations between the width dimension (D1) and depth dimension (D2) measured in a plane perpendicular to the axial axis (E) of up to 3%, without considering that it no longer presents axial symmetry as a result, since they fall within the typical manufacturing tolerances in the sector.