Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D23/00—Details of bottles or jars not otherwise provided for
  • B65D23/10—Handles
  • B65D23/104—Handles formed separately
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
  • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
  • B65D21/0209—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together stackable or joined together one-upon-the-other in the upright or upside-down position
  • B65D21/0224—Auxiliary removable stacking elements other than covers

Definitions

• the invention relates to a set comprising at least one first and one second stackable bottle, wherein each bottle is made of a material such that the bottle can be formed by blow-moulding, and wherein each bottle has a top piece which is mounted around the bottle neck and extends to a peripheral part of the bottle, wherein the top piece is dimensioned such that in a stacked position of the first and second bottle, the top piece of the first bottle lies against a peripheral base part of the second bottle, wherein a handle is connected with said top piece within said peripheral part of the bottle and at a distance from this peripheral part of the bottle, said top piece comprising an annular element with fixing means on an inside of said annular element such that the top piece is able, from a bottle opening, to be pushed with the annular element over the bottle neck in order to attach the top piece to the bottle, and is able to offer resistance to movement in the opposite direction.
• each bottle is made of a material such that the bottle can be formed by blow-moulding
• each bottle has a top
• Such bottles are known from WO2009/095109, which is regarded as the closest prior art.
• This document describes a stackable bottle with a top piece. This document describes how the top piece facilitates the handling and stacking of the bottle.
• One disadvantage of the known bottle is that on lifting a full bottle, a deformation of the top piece occurs.
• the object of the invention is to obtain a bottle wherein the bottle is easier to handle.
• a bottle according to the invention is characterised in that the handle is connected directly to said annular element. Because the handle is connected with the top piece, the bottle can easily be lifted via this handle and also be handled by this on a non-flat floor.
• the handle By connecting this handle to the base part within the peripheral part and at a distance from this peripheral part, the handle has no disadvantageous effect on the rollable nature of the bottle.
• the bottle remains stackable, namely the handle does not protrude at any point because it is placed within the peripheral part of the bottle. Thus a bottle is obtained which is both stackable and easy to handle.
• the handle is attached to the top piece as close as possible to the bottle neck, namely the annular element comprises fixing means on the inside and is attached to the bottle neck by these.
• the distance between firstly the fixing point of the handle to the top piece and secondly the fixing point of the top piece to the bottle is as small as possible. This avoids that, on lifting the bottle via the handle, great moment forces occur in the top piece. If namely the handle were attached to the peripheral part of the top piece, on lifting a moment force would occur in the bottle neck which would have to be absorbed by the top piece.
• the handle By attaching the handle to the annular element, the top piece need only absorb forces which occur from stacking, namely downwardly directed pressure. No moment forces need be absorbed by the top piece, whereby the top piece need not be dimensioned extra strong.
• the top piece is attached to said bottle neck by clipping.
• said handle extends in a plane which lies substantially perpendicular in relation to a longitudinal axis of the bottle.
• the handle extends inside the top piece, which consequently facilitates stacking.
• a handle which does not extend inside the top piece therefore protrudes outside this top piece, which makes stacking the bottle more difficult.
• the handle protrudes perpendicular to the
• said top piece extends toward said peripheral part of the bottle, at least partly making contact with a shoulder part of the bottle. Because the top piece lies in contact with the shoulder part of the bottle, the force exerted on the top piece can be transferred to this shoulder part of the bottle.
• a bottle lying on the top by its own weight exerts a downward force on the bottle lying below. This downward force is applied to the top piece, namely the bottle on top stands on this, and the top piece transfers this force to the bottle. By bringing the top piece into contact with the shoulder part of the bottle, such downward forces can easily be transferred through the stack.
• Said top piece comprises an annular element with fixing means on the inside of the annular element such that the top piece is able, from a bottle opening, to be pushed with the annular element over the bottle neck in order to attach the top piece to the bottle, and is able to offer resistance to movement in the opposite direction.
• Such a fixing of the top piece to the bottle is very simple and hence cheap. Furthermore pushing a ring form with fixing means over the bottle neck is very easy to automate, which is an advantage in the production process of such bottles with top piece.
• said handle comprises two legs and a gripper part, wherein the two legs are connected each with a first end to the respective end of the gripper part and each with a second end to said annular element.
• the handle can be attached with the annular element on both sides.
• the gripping point of the bottle, on lifting lies closer to the centre of gravity of the bottle, which in symmetrical bottles lies on the longitudinal centre axis. This simplifies lifting and leads to an even distribution of force in the annular element.
• said legs are connected to said annular element such that a first distance, measured between the longitudinal axis of the bottle and the point lying furthest away from this longitudinal axis on said gripper part, is smaller than a second distance measured between said second end of a leg and said point lying furthest away from the longitudinal axis on said gripper part.
• a first distance measured between the longitudinal axis of the bottle and the point lying furthest away from this longitudinal axis on said gripper part
• a second distance measured between said second end of a leg and said point lying furthest away from the longitudinal axis on said gripper part On lifting of the bottle, an upward force is applied to the gripper part.
• the legs of the handle, the gripper part of which lies eccentric in relation to the longitudinal axis of the bottle bend up in the direction of the longitudinal axis.
• the gripper part in particular the part of the gripper where the fingers are located during lifting, comes closer to the bottle neck and the bottle cap.
• each of the legs at their ends extends into a ring part which brings the legs towards each other and has a diameter largely equal to the outer diameter of the annular element, and in that both legs are attached to the annular element by one end of this ring part.
• the distance increases between firstly the fixing points of the legs with the annular element and secondly the part of the gripper part where the fingers hook behind, whereby the radius over which the legs can bend under load is also increased. This increase in distance keeps the gripper part away from the bottle neck and bottle cap on lifting of the bottle, preferably even causes it to bend over the bottle cap.
• a bottle according to the invention has a capacity of greater than 5 litres, preferably greater than 10 litres, more preferably greater than 15 litres, and a capacity of less than 35 litres, preferably less than 30 litres, more preferably less than 25 litres. Bottles with such capacity have external dimensions which make handling without handle difficult.
• Figure 1 a cross-section of a set of stackable bottles according to the invention in stacked position
• Figure 2 a cross-section of a stackable bottle according to the invention
• Figure 3 a top piece viewed in perspective
• Figure 4 a top view of a top piece
• Figure 5 a cross section of an annular fixing means of a top piece on a stackable bottle according to the invention.
• Figure 6 an effect of different embodiments of a handle in the top piece on a bottle according to the invention.
• Figure 2 shows a bottle 1 which is produced linearly symmetrical about a longitudinal axis 2.
• the bottle 1 viewed from top to bottom along longitudinal axis 2, comprises an optional bottle top 3 (shown in figures 5 and 6), a bottle neck 4, a shoulder part 5, a body part 6 and a base part 7.
• the bottle 1 is produced by means of blow moulding from a material which can be blow moulded, preferably polyethylene
• the bottle 1 furthermore comprises a top piece 12 attached to the bottle neck 4.
• the bottle cap 3 is preferably attached to the bottle neck 4 by means of a screw connection, wherein the bottle cap 3 and bottle neck 4 have corresponding screw threads.
• the bottle neck 4 furthermore preferably comprises a collar 8 which makes it possible to grip the bottle 1 in a simple manner, in particular during blow moulding of the bottle 1 .
• the shoulder part 5 of the bottle 1 joins the bottle neck 4 to the body part 6 of the bottle 1 .
• the shoulder part 5 extends mainly in a radial direction and downward out from the bottle neck 4 which has a first diameter, to transform into the body part 6 of the bottle 1 which has a larger diameter than said first diameter. This gives a slightly curved top surface which extends largely perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 2 of the bottle at said shoulder part 5.
• the base part 7 of the bottle 1 closes the body part 6 at the underside so that the bottle 1 is suitable for containing a fluid.
• the underside of the bottle is largely flat. Due to the largely flat underside, the bottle can be placed directly on its underside on a floor without using aids.
• the underside of the bottle is convex (not shown) and the bottle furthermore contains a bottom piece (not shown) which is attached to the underside of the bottle to make the bottle with a convex underside stackable.
• the underside of the bottle is convex (not shown) and the bottle furthermore contains a bottom piece (not shown) which is attached to the underside of the bottle to make the bottle with a convex underside stackable.
• the bottom piece must however be produced, which entails an additional cost, but this bottom piece can be re-used for the next stackable bottle without intensive cleaning treatment.
• the bottom piece has a form which is complementary to the form of the top piece 12, which makes such bottles stackable.
• Figure 1 shows a set of a first bottle 13 and a second bottle 14 in a stacked position in cross section.
• Figure 1 shows how the bottle neck 4 and bottle cap 3 (shown in figures 5 and 6) extend centrally and higher than the shoulder part 5 of the bottle 1 .
• the underside of the bottle is largely flat.
• a top piece 12 is provided in a stacked position with a top bottle on a bottom bottle, for the top bottle to lie stably against the bottom bottle. Without a top piece, the bottle neck 4 and bottle cap 3 of the bottom bottle would prevent a top bottle with a largely flat underside 7 from being placed stably on the bottom bottle.
• the top piece 12 is attached on at least the bottom bottle and provides this bottle with a raised shoulder part 30. In relation to the raised shoulder part 30, the bottle neck and bottle cap do not protrude upward or at least protrude less. As a result, a bottle 1 with a largely flat underside 7 can be supported on this raised shoulder part 30 without the bottle neck 4 and bottle cap 3 preventing this.
• the dimensions of the top piece 12 are such that the bottle neck 4 and bottle cap 3 of the bottle in the stacked position are bridged in the height direction, with the result that the top bottle can be placed stably on the top piece of the bottom bottle.
• Figures 3 and 4 show a top piece 12 with handle 31 of the bottle 1 according to the invention.
• the top piece 12 is attached to the bottle neck 4.
• the top piece preferably has annular fixing means 15 which are preferably provided centrally in the top piece 12 and on an inside thereof are fitted with counter-hook means 16.
• the annular fixing means 15 with counter-hook means 16 allow the top piece 12 to be pushed over the bottle neck 4 in the direction of the shoulder part 5 while preventing the top piece 12 from being able to move over the bottle neck 4 in a direction away from the shoulder part 5.
• the annular fixing means 15 with counter-hook means 16 and the collar 8 on the bottle neck 4 are complementary in the sense that the counter-hook means 16 can be pushed over the collar 8 in the direction of the shoulder part 5 and prevent an opposite movement back over the collar 8.
• the counter-hook means 16 can comprise hinged lips 16 which, as shown in figure 5 viewed in the mounted position of the top piece 12, form an acute angle a with the longitudinal axis 2 towards the base part 7 of the bottle .
• a handle 31 Within the peripheral edge of the top piece 12 is attached a handle 31 .
• the handle 31 does not protrude outside the top piece 12, whereby both the sides and the top side of the bottle 1 with top piece 12 are not influenced by the handle.
• the handle 31 extends in said top piece 12 in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 2 of the bottle 1.
• the handle 12 furthermore has a gripper part 17 which at each end is fitted with a leg 18 and 19, so as to form a U-shaped whole of the handle and two legs.
• the two legs 18 and 19 of the U shape have a mutual distance largely equal to the outer diameter of the annular fixing means 15.
• the legs 8 and 19 are both joined to the annular fixing means 15. If the legs 18 and 19 of the U shape are short, little space 20 is left between the gripper part 17 and the annular fixing means 15 to insert the fingers in space 20 and grip the gripper part 17, whereby the handle 12 is difficult to handle.
• the legs 18 and 19 of the U shape are long, a lot of space 20 must be left between the gripper part 17 and the annular fixing means 15 and it will be easy to grip the gripper part 17 with the fingers. However if the legs 18 and 19 are too long, the gripper part 17 will protrude outside the top piece 12. Furthermore space must be provided in the top piece 12 for a handle 31 , which requires structural adaptations and whereby the top piece 12 will deviate from an ideal symmetrical form. The longer the legs 18 and 19, the more extensive the structural adaptations.
• the length of the U-shaped legs 18 and 19 of the gripper part 17 is optimally selected in the sense that they are as small as possible yet sufficiently large for fingers to easily be inserted in the space 20 between the gripper part 17 and the annular fixing means 15.
• the distance with reference numeral 20 between the gripper part 17 and the annular fixing means 15 is at least 2.5 cm, more preferably at least 3 cm.
• the distance with reference numeral 20 between the gripper part 17 and the annular fixing means 15 is maximum 4 cm, more preferably maximum 3.5 cm. It will be clear that the gripper part 17 and the legs 18 and 19 of the handle 12 can deviate in form from a pure U shape as is the case in figures 3 and 4.
• the gripper part 17 of the handle 12 is formed as an arc of a circle.
• a further problem arises in lifting a full bottle 1 according to the invention with a handle 12 in which the length of the U-shaped legs 18 and 19 of the gripper part 17 is selected optimally. This problem is illustrated in figure 6.
• the U- shaped legs 18 and 19 of the gripper part 17 will bend up in the direction of the longitudinal axis 2 as illustrated by dotted line 21 .
• a handle 12 with circular gripper part 17 in the above solution will have the further positive effect because the legs 8 and 19 of the gripper part 17 will have a springing effect on application of force F.
• the circular gripper part 7 will deform under the force F into an ellipse form whereby the distance 23 between the fixing point of the gripper part 17 and the place where the force F is applied is further enlarged and hence more space is released for the fingers.
• the top piece 12 has ribs 32 (shown in figures 4 and 5) which extend from said annular fixing means 15 to a peripheral edge of the top piece.
• this peripheral edge of the top piece when attached to a bottle, lies in the extension of the body of the bottle.
• the ribs 32 are preferably planar, whereby the plane is parallel to the longitudinal axis 2 of the bottle, and extend radially out in relation to this axis 2.
• These planar ribs, at an underside of the top piece preferably have a form such that in the attached position of the top piece, the ribs 32 lie against the shoulder part 5 of the bottle.
• the planar ribs 32 preferably have, on the top of the top piece, a form such that the ribs 32 in stacked position lie against the underside of the top bottle.
• the ribs 32 support and partly form the raised shoulder part 30.
• the top piece with the ribs shows a structure similar to a bicycle wheel, where the outermost edge of the wheel, the peripheral part of the top piece, is joined by means of spokes, the ribs, to the innermost element, the annular fixing means.
• the handle 31 is preferably placed between two successive ribs 43. However it is also possible for a rib 32 to be provided below the handle 31 , where the form of this rib 32 on the top of the top piece deviates from the form of the other ribs.
• the top piece 12 can prevent evacuation by pouring from the stackable bottle according to the invention.
• the bottle according to the invention contains evacuation means, preferably a pump, to evacuate the bottle without this having to be tilted.
• the top piece comprises a pouring spout 33.
• the pouring spout 33 is shaped as a tubular segment which extends between the annular fixing means 15 and the peripheral edge of the top piece 12.
• the pouring spout 33 is provided at the top of the top piece 12, preferably opposite the handle 31 .
• a bottle 1 according to the invention has a capacity of more than 5 litres, more preferably more than 10 litres, most preferably more than 15 litres.
• a bottle 1 according to the invention has a capacity of less than 35 litres, more preferably less than 30 litres, most preferably less than 25 litres.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (1)

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• 2010
  • 2010-02-19 BE BE2010/0102A patent/BE1019191A3/nl active
• 2011
  • 2011-02-18 WO PCT/IB2011/050687 patent/WO2011101814A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-02-18 EP EP11711659.0A patent/EP2536640B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2011-02-18 ES ES11711659.0T patent/ES2527189T3/es active Active
  • 2011-02-18 PL PL11711659T patent/PL2536640T3/pl unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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