AU2010329200A1

AU2010329200A1 - Plastic bottle

Info

Publication number: AU2010329200A1
Application number: AU2010329200A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kenshi Matsuoka
Original assignee: Coca Cola Co
Current assignee: Coca Cola Co
Priority date: 2009-12-08
Filing date: 2010-11-25
Publication date: 2012-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2030-11-25
Also published as: WO2011070916A1; JP2011121597A; AU2010329200B2; CN102712379A; JP5662017B2

Abstract

Disclosed is a plastic bottle that is capable of striking a balance between maintaining a strength that prevents crushing and maintaining a surface structure for contact areas, attaching areas, and the like, even when decreased in weight. The plastic bottle is provided with a tubular body, a plurality of continuous grooves that are formed on the body in a manner such that the depressions thereof are continuous in the circumferential direction, and at least one discontinuous groove that is formed on the body in a manner such that the depression thereof is discontinuous in the circumferential direction. The discontinuous groove is positioned between mutually adjacent continuous grooves in the height direction of the body.

Description

Specification Title of the Invention: PLASTIC BOTTLE Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a plastic bottle that provides a tubular body part. Related Art [0002] In recent years, weight reduction has been promoted in plastic bottles such as a beverage PET bottle by using as little material as possible in bottle raw material resources (resin) from the viewpoint of an environmental consideration (Reference: JP Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-247393) and JP Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-137463). However, bottles that are made with a thin wall due to weight reduction are easy to be crushed due to a decrease in their mechanical resistance. Therefore, creative ideas have been implemented in bottles to reinforce product value, and one of these ideas is to form circumferential depression grooves in the bottle body part. For instance, in JP Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H09-240647, an attempt is made to secure strength while maintaining a good balance in the height direction by forming a plurality of circumferential depression grooves in the height direction around the bottle body. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention [0003] However that does not necessarily mean that the more circumferential depression grooves there are the better. When there are too many, the contact area of the bottle body part that contacts the exterior part is reduced to that extent. Accordingly, there is a risk that bottles may be deformed, for instance, during transportation or display due to the increased contact pressure among bottles. Further, when there are too many circumferential depression grooves, ensuring enough space for a laminated label is difficult when the label showing merchandise information is laminated and wrapped around the bottle body part. One the other hand, if a number of circumferential depression grooves are simply reduced in consideration of such problem, the strength of the bottle is impaired and that would fail to properly address the importance of the matter. [0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a plastic bottle that can be compatible in both ensuring the strength so as not to be crushed and ensuring a surface configuration for the contact surface, laminating surface, and the like even when reducing weight. Means for Solving the Problem [0005] In order to achieve the objectives described above, the plastic bottle of the present invention is provided with a tubular body part, a plurality of continuous grooves formed so that a depression is continuous in the circumferential direction around the body part, and at least one discontinuous groove formed so that the depression is discontinuous in the circumferential direction around the body part, and wherein the discontinuous groove is placed between the continuous grooves adjoining each other in the height direction of the body part. [0006] According to the present invention, a reinforcing effect is devised as a rib in a depression of a discontinuous groove, and the part where the depression of the discontinuous groove is disconnected ensures an area as a surface. Accordingly, a surface configuration for a contact area when bottles are placed in rows, and a surface configuration for laminating a label or the like, can be ensured to be wide in comparison to that having all depression grooves to be continuous grooves. Furthermore, in viewing the body part as a whole, the original reinforcing effect by depressions of the continuous grooves and discontinuous grooves do not have to be sacrificed. Moreover, the strength and the surface configuration can be ensured efficiently because the arrangements are made for continuous grooves, 2 discontinuous grooves, and continuous grooves. According to the present invention as described above, the surface configuration can be ensured to be as wide as possible while ensuring the strength that will not be crushed even though it is a light weight, without reducing the number of circumferential depression grooves of the existing bottles. [0007] The continuous grooves are preferred to have at least the depth or the height larger than the discontinuous grooves. Accordingly, he reinforcing effect as a rib is increased in the continuous groove, and therefore, the strength that can be expected originally can be kept in the continuous groove. Further, generally, the smaller the depth or height of the depression groove, the easier it is to ensure a wide area (i.e. surface) with no depression, so a wide surface configuration can be ensured around the discontinuous grooves. [0008] Preferably, a transverse section of the body part consists of a square shape, and the transverse section consists of the four total corner parts each forming a circular arc, and the discontinuous groove is preferred to be formed so as to not have a depression in the center part of the circular arch in each corner part. For instance, a wide laminating area can be ensured when a label is laminated on a bottle because lamination can be done from the center of the circular arc of the corner parts. Meanwhile, the corner parts within the transverse section have a larger strength originally than the other parts, so even if there is no depression of the discontinuous groove in the center part, the strength does not have to be sacrificed much in the view of the bottle as a whole. [0009] More preferably, the discontinuous groove is formed so as to have a depression in the circular arc area except for the center of the circular arc in each corner part. In this way, the depression shape can be realized in a bow-like shape and not a linear two-dimensional depression shape and that improves to the three-dimensional strength. [0010] The longitudinal section of the continuous groove is preferably an equilateral triangle, and the vertex placed in the most inner side of the bottle among the vertexes of the equilateral triangle is made the circular arc. In this way, when a vertical force is applied to a bottle, a 3 spring effect such as dispersing the force is carried out in the continuous grooves. Accordingly, the vertical direction strength can be improved. [0011] The longitudinal section of the discontinuous groove is preferably made of a semi-circular arc shape, and different from the longitudinal section of the continuous groove. With such discontinuous groove, it is useful in the viewpoint of ease of molding to form a discontinuous groove that is as thin as possible to ensure the surface and ease of the mold preparation. [0012] Within the region of the body part, a label is preferably laminated to a region where the depression is disconnected in the discontinuous groove. In this way, the label can be laminated in the region where a wide laminating area is ensured and high label adhesive strength can be maintained. [0013] Preferably, a plurality of discontinuous grooves are provided in the height direction and the continuous grooves and the discontinuous grooves are arranged alternately in the height direction. In this way, the strength and the surface do not need to be made smaller locally in the height direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG IA is a perspective view of a plastic bottle according to an embodiment. FIG lB is a perspective view of the plastic bottle of FIG IA viewed from another angle. FIG 2 is a front view of the plastic bottle of FIGS. I A and B. FIG 3 is a transverse sectional view that is cut at line IIIIII in FIG. 2. FIG 4 is a cross-sectional view that is cut at line IV-IV in FIG 2, and illustrates an outline form of the cut site omitting hatching. FIG 5A is a front view illustrating a state where a label is wrapped on a plastic bottle according to an embodiment. FIG 5B is a lateral view illustrating a state where a label is wrapped on a plastic bottle that 4 relates to an embodiment. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [0015] A plastic bottle that relates to the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the attached figures. In the following descriptions, the bottle opening part at the top is the upper side and the bottle bottom part at the bottom is the lower side. A height indicates a length along the direction of the central axis of the bottle (vertical direction). A transverse section indicates a cross-sectional shape in the flat surface that is orthogonal to the center axis. A longitudinal section indicates a cross-sectional shape in the flat surface including the center axis. [0016] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 A and B and FIG. 2, a plastic bottle 1 (hereinafter, referred to as bottle 1) has an opening part 2, shoulder part 3, body part 4, and bottom part 5 in that order from the upper side. These parts (2, 3, 4, and 5) are formed integrally, and configure a bottle wall of a closed-bottom tubular shape. As a beverage, non-carbonated beverages such as water, green tea, oolong tea, blended tea, sport drink, fruit juice or the like can be given. In another embodiment, even foods such as jelly-type drinks, sauce or the like can be stored. [0017] Bottle 1 is molded by a stretching and molding process such as a biaxial stretch blow molding or the like using a thermoplastic resin such as, for instance, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or the like as a main raw material. Descriptions of an example of manufacturing process of the bottle 1 will be given. First, thermoplastic resin is injected into a mold to make a preform by injection molding. The preform is configured with an opening part 2, an opening part with the same shape, a tubular part with the closed bottom that continues downward from the opening part. After the injection molding is done, the preform is set in a blow molding machine and heat is applied to the tubular part of the preform. Subsequently, the tubular part is stretched in the vertical 5 direction by a stretching rod while compressed air is blown into the tubular part to stretch laterally. The region of the stretched tubular part is pressed against the inner surface of the mold and solidified thereafter. In this way, a shoulder part 3, a body part4, and a bottom part 5 are molded and a series of molding processes of the bottle 1 is completed. An example of the size of the bottle 1 is approximately 210 mm in height, approximately 1000 ml in a full volume, and weight of the preform is 20.5 g. [0018] The opening part 2 is opened in the upper end and functioned as a pouring spout of a beverage. The opening of the opening part 2 is opened and closed by a cap that is omitted in the illustration. The tansverse section of the shoulder part 3 is gradually enlarged downward, and the opening part of the smallest diameter in the bottle 1 is continued to the upper end of the body part 5 that configures the largest width in the bottle 1. The bottom part 5 is configured with a bottom wall 21 and a peripheral wall 22. The peripheral wall 22 is made slightly narrower downward, and the lower end of the body part 4 is continued to the bottom wall 21. The shapes of the opening part 2, shoulder part 3 and bottom part 5 are not limited particularly, and they can be designed appropriately. [0019] As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG 3, the body part 4 is the tubular part composed of a transverse section of a square. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the transverse section of the body part 4 is composed of a total of 4 corner parts 31 (corner part where two sides intersect) of a circular arc, and provided with a straight part 33 between the neighboring corners 31 and 31. The straight part 33 configures a flat external surface in the body part 4. [0020] As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the body part 4 is divided into three areas lengthwise, it can be described to be composed of an upper side body part 41 where the transverse section is mutually the same, a lower side body part 42, and an intermediate body part 43. The intermediate body part 43 has a constricted part 50 an indent part 52 so that a consumer can grasp the bottle 1 easily. The constricted part 50 is mainly in each corner part 31, the indent part 52 is in each straight part 33, and all are formed respectively in near the center of gravity 6 when a beverage is filled in the bottle 1. In another embodiment, the mode of the constricted part 50 and the indent part 52 may be modified in design appropriately, and for instance, the constricted part 50 and the indent part 52 may be omitted. [0021] The body part 4 has a plurality of continuous grooves 61 and a plurality of discontinuous grooves 63. The continuous grooves 61 and the discontinuous grooves 63 are all functioned to increase the transverse strength, and the effect is larger in the continuous groove 61 compared to the discontinuous groove 63. The continuous groove 61 is formed such as to continue the depression throughout the circumferential direction of the body part 4 while the discontinuous groove 63 is formed such that the depression is discontinuous throughout the circumferential direction of the body part 4. [0022] The continuous groove 61 is formed in four grooves on the upper side body part 41, and two among them are positioned in the border of the shoulder part 3 and the intermediate body part 43. Further, the continuous groove 61 is formed in two grooves on the lower side body part 42, and each one of them is positioned in the border of the intermediate body part 43 and the bottom part 5. Three discontinuous grooves 63 are formed on the upper side body part 41, one is formed in the lower side body part 42, and all are positioned between the continuous grooves 61 and 61 that are adjoining each other. Particularly in the present embodiment, the continuous grooves 61 and the discontinuous grooves 63 are arranged alternately in the body part 4 in the height direction of the bottle 1, and the space between the two is equal in the upper side body part 41. [0023] Each of the longitudinal section is different in the continuous groove 61 and the discontinuous groove 63. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG 4, the longitudinal section of the continuous groove 61 is made in a triangle shape, and preferably is made in an equilateral triangle shape. The vertex of the triangle that is placed in the inner side of the bottle within the longitudinal section of the continuous groove 61 is made in a circular arc shape. In this way, when a compressing force in the height direction is applied to the bottle 7 1, a spring effect such as dispersing the force is carried out in the continuous groove 61. On the other hand, the longitudinal section of the discontinuous groove 63 is made in a circular arc shape, and is preferably made in a semi-circular arc shape. Further, the discontinuous groove 63 is formed where at least the depth or height is smaller than the continuous groove 61, and here both are preferably formed smaller. As one example, the depth of the discontinuous groove 63 is approximately 1/2 of the depth of the continuous groove 61, and the height of the discontinuous groove 63 is approximately 1/3 of the height of the continuous groove 61. [0024] The discontinuous groove 63 is formed along the circumference so that the depression is disconnected in an area of each corner part 31 of the body part 4. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the discontinuous groove 63 are composed of four depressed parts 65 that have front-back symmetry and left-right symmetry, and a total of four flat parts 67 that are arranged between the neighboring depressed parts 65 and 65. The lengths of these parts 65 and 67 are not particularly limited and are set within a range where a reinforcing effect and a surface configuration can be ensured; however, the length of the depressed part 65 is preferably longer than the length of the flat part 67 in order to utilize the reinforcing effect sufficiently. As one example of a measurement that is suitable to ensure the surface configuration, when the maximum width of the body part 4 is 85 mm, the length of the flat part 67 is preferably 8 mm or greater. [0025] The depressed part 65 is formed throughout the straight part 33 as well as formed in a part of the corner parts 31 and 31 that are both sides of the straight part 33. Meanwhile, the flat part 67 is formed only in a part of the corner part 31. Accordingly, in the transverse section including the discontinuous groove 63, there is no depression of the discontinuous groove 63 in the center part (including the farthest part from the center axis) of the circular arc corner part 31, and there is a depression of the discontinuous groove 63 in parts that are both sides of the center part of the corner part 31. In describing by focusing on the outer 8 periphery of the body part 4, surfaces with no depression such as the surface between the adjoined continuous grooves 61 and 61 or the like is a flat surface so as to be coplanar with other surfaces. [0026] The bottle 1 described above is provided on the market covered with a label 70 where a product name, material names, and the like are printed (see FIGS. 5 A and B). The label 70 is provided by laminating on the outer peripheral surface of the body part 4, and the adhesive strength is the extent in which a consumer can peel off the label 70 to separate from the body part 4. The label used here as the label 70 is a roll label with no perforations. In order to provide such label 70 on the body part 4, first, the inner surface of one end part of the label 70 is laminated on the outer peripheral surface of the body part 4, and other parts of the label 70 is wrapped around the body part 4 by making the laminated part as the starting point. And then, the inner surface of the other end part of the label 70 that is wrapped once is laminated to the outer surface part of the label 70 already wrapped on the inner side. Accordingly, the lamination of the label 70 is completed. On the other hand, when separating the laminated label 70, peeling may start from the other end part side of the label 70 in a reverse order from the lamination order. [0027] As described in FIGS. 5A and B, the label 70 is provided from directly underneath the continuous groove 61 of the shoulder part 3 side that is the upper side body part 41 to directly above the continuous groove 61 of the intermediate body part 43 side. That is to say, from another standpoint, the outer peripheral surface of the body part 4 has label coverage to provide the label 70 in the region including a plurality (three) of discontinuous grooves 63. Within the label coverage, one end part of the label 70 described above is laminated in a laminating region 72 (see FIG. 1 A) including the region where the depression is discontinued (in other words, the flat area 67) in the discontinuous grooves 63. The laminating region 72 is, for instance, a vertically-long rectangular region as illustrated in FIG. 1A, and this becomes the starting point to laminate and wrap the label. 9 [0028] The functional effect of the bottle 1 in the present embodiment described above will be described. [0029] 1. Strength and Surface [illegible] The bottle 1 uses not only continuous grooves 61 but also uses discontinuous grooves 63 as a mode of circumferential depression grooves formed in the body part 4. By the discontinuous grooves 63, a region with a depression can prove the reinforcing effect as a rib in a similar manner to the continuous grooves 61 while a region with no depression configures a flat surface. Accordingly, in viewing the body part 4 as a whole, the original reinforcing effect does not have to be sacrificed much by the depression of the discontinuous grooves 63, and a wide surface configuration can be ensured for the area where there is no depression of the discontinuous grooves 63. [0030] Therefore, even when the bottle 1 is made lighter, the strength not to be crushed can be ensured. At the same time, the adhesiveness of the label 70 can be improved because a wide surface configuration can be ensured in the laminating region 72. Further, because a wide contact area of the bottle 1 can be ensured, for instance, even when bottles 1 are lined in parallel during transportation and display, the contact pressure received is reduced and deformation of the bottle 1 is suppressed. [0031] Particularly, according to the present embodiment, the discontinuous groove 63 is arranged alternately with the continuous groove 61 in the height direction, the strength and the surface configuration are taken into consideration so as not to become smaller locally in the height direction. Further, because the depth and the height of the discontinuous groove 63 is made smaller than the continuous groove 61, a wide surface configuration around the discontinuous grooves 63 can be ensured compared to a case when these are made to be the same. At the same time, the continuous grooves 61 can improve the reinforcing effect as a rib. In addition, because the region with no depression of the discontinuous grooves is set in the corner part 31 originally having a larger strength than the straight part 33, the 10 discontinuous grooves 63 can be formed without sacrificing the strength much if viewing the body part 4 as a whole. [0032] 2. Formability Although the discontinuous groove 63 is thinner and shallower than the continuous groove 61, when there is such a discontinuous groove 63, if the longitudinal section of the discontinuous groove 63 is made in a triangular shape similar to the continuous groove 61, the molding of the discontinuous groove 63 becomes difficult. When the longitudinal section of the discontinuous groove 63 is made in a semi-circular arc shape as described above, molding of the discontinuous groove 63 that is thinner and shallower can be improved to be easier. This also gives an advantage in manufacturing of a mold used in the stretching and molding process to be easier. [0033] A description will be provided in an alternative embodiment of the present embodiment. The transverse section of the body part 4 is not only a square shape, but it may also be rectangular. Further it is not limited to a square, but also it may be another shape such as a circular shape, polygon shape, or the like. The discontinuous groove 63 and the continuous groove 61 may not be extended linearly in the circumferential direction on the body part 4. For instance, the discontinuous groove 63 and the continuous groove 61 may extend in the circumferential direction on the body part 4 such as the belly and rib alternately repeating in the height direction. 11

Claims

1. A plastic bottle that provides a tubular body part; comprising: a plurality of continuous grooves in which a depression is formed continuously in the circumferential direction on the body part; at least one discontinuous groove in which a depression is formed discontinuously in the circumferential direction on the body part; wherein the discontinuous groove is placed between the continuous grooves adjoining each other in the height direction of the body part.

2. The plastic bottle according to Claim 1, wherein the continuous groove has at least the depth or height larger than the discontinuous groove.

3. The plastic bottle according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the body part has a square shape in a transverse section, the transverse section is composed of four corner parts where each forms a circular arc, and the discontinuous groove is formed so as to not have a depression in the center part of the circular arc of each corner part.

4. The plastic bottle according to Claim 3, wherein the discontinuous groove is formed so as to have a depression in the circular arc part except for in the center part of the circular arc of each corner part.

5. The plastic bottle according to any one of Claim 1 through Claim 4, wherein the continuous groove is composed of an equilateral triangle shape in the longitudinal section, and the vertex placed in the most inner side of the bottle among the vortexes of the equilateral triangle has a circular arc.

6. The plastic bottle according to any one of Claim 1 through Claim 5, wherein the discontinuous groove is composed of a semi-circular arc in the longitudinal section, 12 and the longitudinal section is different from the longitudinal section of the continuous groove.

7. The plastic bottle according to any one of Claim 1 through Claim 6, wherein a label is laminated in a region where a depression is disconnected in the discontinuous groove within the region of the body part.

8. The plastic bottle according to any one of Claim 1 through Claim 7, wherein there is a plurality of discontinuous grooves in the height direction, and the continuous groove and the discontinuous groove are arranged in a line alternately in the height direction. 13