EP3601080B1

EP3601080B1 - Container

Info

Publication number: EP3601080B1
Application number: EP18712675.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giacomo SEBASTIANI
Original assignee: Madel SpA
Current assignee: Madel SpA
Priority date: 2017-03-21
Filing date: 2018-03-14
Publication date: 2023-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-14
Also published as: CN110431084A; EP3601080A1; WO2018172885A1; ES2941986T3; HRP20230346T1; RS64112B1; US20210147117A1; IT201700031163A1; SI3601080T1

Description

The invention relates to a container, and in particular a container for liquids, of the type commonly also referred to as "bottle" to which reference is hereinafter made.
The bottles of interest for this specification are those preferably designed for containing products such as liquid soap, gel and the like for washing, for example, plates, kitchenware or even linen.
The containers in question have sizes which vary between approximately half a litre and a litre and a half of product contained, so relatively heavy in particular when full.
Prior art containers extend mainly in height, have a substantially flat base wall or base, a front wall and a rear wall, which extend from the base, and two side walls, extending also from the base, and which join the front and rear walls.
The bottles have a neck for the discharge of the liquid product, provided with a cap and positioned at one end of the container opposite the base wall.
Generally, the front and rear walls, and even more the side walls, have a curvilinear profile which give the container a sinuous aspect, but which make its movement difficult, even as a result of the weight, when the product is being used.
In order to overcome this drawback, bottles have recently been developed which have grips on the outer surface to better grip the bottle.
More specifically, the grips are in the form of recesses for the fingers made in at least one front or rear wall which is, in other words, shaped in such a way as to have the recesses. Examples of such kinds of container are disclosed in document WO2005075308A1 , disclosing a container according to the preamble of claim 1, and in documents US6029837A or US2008173653A1 .
In other prior art solutions, the recesses in the front or rear walls extend up to a side wall and are accessible, that is open, at the side wall which therefore has, in turn, recesses for the passage of the hands of the user. The solutions of containers with grips also have several drawbacks.
The grips described above do not allow the bottle to be effectively retained and the bottle can escape from the hand as the fingers do not find particular resistance to escaping from the grip, especially in the case, for example, of wet hands.
In order to maximise the effectiveness of the grip, the recesses extend well into the front or rear walls, removing considerable space for labels and information for the consumer.
In this context, the main purpose of this invention is to provide a container which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks.
The aim of the invention is to provide a bottle for products such as liquid soap, gel and the like for washing, for example, plates, kitchenware or even linen, which can be easily lifted and handled.
Another aim is to provide a container wherein the front or rear walls can be used more, compared with the prior art solutions, also for labels or information for the consumer.
These aims are fully achieved by a container having the features resulting from the combination of one or more of the accompanying claims. According to a first aspect, this invention relates to a container for a liquid product, such as, for example, soap for plates, detergent for dishwashers or washing machines, fabric conditioner and the like.
The container comprises a base wall, at least one side wall extending from the base wall along a main direction of extension D of the container, an end portion, comprising a neck for discharge of the product, positioned at an end of the container opposite the base wall in the main direction of extension D.
The base wall, the side wall and the end portion define a shell open at the neck which may be provided with a cap, a dispensing device or other in a way that is not significant for this description.
According to an aspect of this invention, the container comprises a system for gripping the container which comprises at least one recess in the side wall.
The recess extends mainly in the main direction of extension D and according to an aspect of this invention it has a first and a second edge converging towards the neck of the container.
The recess substantially has, on the side wall, a closed profile.
According to another aspect of this invention, the first and the second edges converge towards the base wall.
The second edge defines, with a profile of the side wall, a gripping portion of the container.
The second edge is closer to the profile of the side wall relative to the first edge.
According to an aspect of the invention, the gripping portion thins from the neck towards the base portion in such a way that it can be well gripped by a generic user.
According to an aspect of the invention, the first edge has a curved shape with the concavity facing towards the second edge.
According to an aspect of the invention, the second edge has a curved shape and first section with the concavity facing towards the first edge and a second section, connected to the first section, having the concavity the side opposite the first edge, that is, towards the profile of the side wall.
According to an embodiment, a section of the second edge with the concavity facing the opposite side relative to the first edge is closer to the neck of the container relative to a second section of the second edge connected to the first section, having the concavity facing towards the first edge.
According to an aspect of the invention, the first and the second edge are joined to one another on the part of the neck of the container.
In other words, the first and the second edge are joined to one another substantially at the neck or the end portion of the container.
In this way, since an upper end of the recess is closed in the joining of the two edges of the same it is more difficult to lose grip of the container compared with the prior art solutions.
According to an aspect of this invention, the recess has a depth of between mm 4 and mm 12 as a function of the volume of the container to guarantee the possibility of inserting the fingers in the recess.
The depth of the recess may increase as the volume (and hence the weight) of the container increases.
According to an aspect of this invention, the recess has dimensions proportional to the height, measured preferably according to the main direction D, and to the width of the wall in which it is made in such a way as to always have substantially the same shape or aspect in containers of different dimensions or of a different capacity.
The concavities of the concave sections of the two edges of the recess are preferably facing the respective concavities facing each other to obtain sufficient space for the hand of the user.
According to an embodiment, the maximum distance between the concave section of the first edge and the concave section of the second edge is between 18 mm and 55 mm according to the volume of the container. According to an aspect of the invention, the container comprises a first side wall defining a front wall, a second side wall defining a rear wall, at least a third side wall connecting the first and second side walls.
The first, the second and the third side walls are connected to each other and extend from the base wall of the container in the main direction of extension D of the container.
The first, the second and the third side walls are closed at the top by the end portion of the container and the recess is made in the first side wall. According to an aspect of the invention, the recess may be considered as delimited by a bottom and by a first and a second wall facing each other.
In an example embodiment, the walls which delimit the recess extend from the bottom of the recess up to the wall of the container.
The walls of the recess are incident to each other at the bottom of the recess.
According to an aspect of the invention, the walls of the recess are respectively delimited, at the wall of the container, by the first and second edge.
The recess can be finished in such a way as to have a rough surface to the touch which improves the grip of the container.
For example, the walls of the recess may be rougher to the touch compared with the other surfaces of the container.
According to an aspect of the invention, the walls of the recess, that is to say, the recess itself, can be provided with a plurality of teeth, which can be, for example, in the form of a leaf skeleton, to facilitate further the gripping of the container.
Further features and advantages of this invention are more apparent in the non-limiting description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of a container, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a container in accordance with the invention;
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic front view of a container in accordance with the invention;
Figure 3 illustrates a schematic plan view from above of a container in accordance with the invention.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes an example of a container according to this invention.
The container 1 is, for example, designed to contain liquid products, such as, for example, soap for plates, detergent for dishwashers or washing machines, fabric conditioner and the like.
The container 1 comprises a base wall 2 and a plurality of side walls 3, 4, 5 and 6 which extend from the base wall 2 along a direction of extension D of the container 1.
More specifically, in the example illustrated, a first side wall 3 defines a front wall, a second side wall 4 defines a rear wall, a third side wall 5, connecting the front wall and the rear wall, defines a first side of the container 1, and a fourth side wall 6, connecting the front wall and the rear wall, defines a second side of the container 1.
The side walls 3, 4, 5 and 6 are joined to each other and the container 1 comprises an end portion 7, positioned on the opposite side of the base wall 2 relative to the ide walls 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the direction D, for closing the container 1.
In the embodiment illustrated by way of example, the end portion 7 comprises a neck 8 for the discharge, in use, of the product, and which can be combined, for example, with a cap or a dispensing device not illustrated.
The base wall 2, the side walls 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the end portion 7 define a shell open at the neck 8.
In alternative embodiments not illustrated, the container 1 has any shape, for example a parallelepiped or cylindrical.
As illustrated, the container 1 comprises a gripping system 9 for moving, in use, the container.
The system 9, as explained in more detail below, allows a generic user, not illustrated, to firmly grip the container 1 for using the product contained inside.
The system 9 comprises, in the example illustrated, a recess 10 in the side wall 3.
In a preferred embodiment, the recess 10 has a maximum depth D of between 4 mm and 12 mm according to the volume of the container 1.
In general, the larger and heavier the full container 1, the deeper will be the recess 10 in such a way that the user is able to better rip the container 1.
In general, the recess 10 has dimensions proportional to the height, measured preferably according to the main direction D, and to the width of the wall 3 in which it is made in such a way as to always have substantially the same shape or aspect in containers 1 of different dimensions or of a different capacity.
As schematically illustrated in a dashed line in Figure 3, the container 1 may also comprise a second recess, for example of the same type as the recess in the wall 3, on the rear wall 4 for further facilitating gripping of the container 1.
The recess 10 extends mainly along the main direction of extension D and has a first and a second edge 11, 12.
The first and the second edge 11, 12 are convergent towards the neck 8 of the container 1 and converging towards the base wall 2.
Preferably, the first and second edges 11, 12 are joined to one another on the side of the neck of the container.
In practice, the recess 10 substantially has, on the side wall 3, a closed profile.
Preferably, the edges 11 and 12 of the recess 10 are joined to one another at an end 10a above the recess towards the neck 8.
The first edge 11 has a curved shape with concavity facing towards the second edge 12.
The edge 12 has a concave section 12a facing the edge 11; as illustrated, the edge 11 and the edge 12 each have at least one concave section with the respective concavities facing each other.
The maximum distance D1 between the edge 11 and the edge 12, in particular, in the example illustrated, between the concave section of the edge 11 and the concave section of the edge 12, is preferably between 18 mm and 55 mm according to the volume of the container 1.
It should be noted that the edge 11 is concave and the edge 12 has a curved shape and has the concave section 12a with the concavity facing towards the edge 11 and a section 12b with the concavity facing the opposite side relative to the first edge 11.
The section 12b of the edge 12 is closer to the neck 8 of the container 1 with respect to the section 12a of the edge 12.
The edge 11 and the edge 12, for example the section 12b, are joined to one another at the upper end 10a of the recess 10.
Advantageously, in this way, once the fingers of the hand of the above-mentioned user are inserted in the recess 10 they can slide outside the recess with greater difficulty relative to the prior art solutions since, if the container moves downwards, it would remain blocked in the converging portion of the recess.
According to alternative embodiments, the edges 11 and 12 may also not join the upper end of the recess, obtaining, in any case, the same effect. The recess 10 is delimited by a base 20 and, in the example illustrated, by a first and a second wall 21, 22 facing each other which extend from the base 20 up to the wall 3.
In the example illustrated, the walls 21 and 22 are incident to each other at the bottom 20 of the recess 10.
The walls 21 and 22 are respectively delimited, at the wall 3, by the edges 11 and 12.
Given the shape of the edges 11 and 12, it should be noted that the recess 10 is delimited by a profile in the form of a leaf on the wall 3.
The recess 10 can be finished in such a way as to have a rough surface 23 to the touch which improves the grip of the container 1.
For example, the walls 21, 22, and, if necessary, the base 20 of the recess 10, may be rougher to the touch relative to the other surfaces of the container 1.
According to a preferred embodiment, the walls 21, 22 of the recess 10, that is to say, the recess itself, can be provided with a plurality of teeth 24, which can be, for example, in the form of a leaf skeleton, to facilitate further the gripping of the container 1.
Moreover, the majority of the surface of the front wall 3 is free and can be used, for example, for applying a label 13.
As illustrated, the edge 12 defines, with a profile 3a of the wall 3 a gripping portion 14 of the container 1.
The gripping portion 14 defines a free space for part of the fingers which, in use, then engage in the recess 10; the thumb of the same hand can then rest on the wall 5 and on the end portion 7, beneath the neck 8.
In use, the user can insert, partly, the hand in the recess 10 and retain the container 1 at least acting on the wall 22.
As illustrated in particular in Figure 2, the gripping portion 14 on the wall 3 thins from the neck 8 towards the base wall 2.
The curved shape, in particular with a concavity facing the opposite side relative to the recess 10, of the section 12b of the edge 12 determines the shape of the portion 14 which optimises the gripping of the container 1.

Claims

A container for a product preferably liquid, the container comprising:
a base wall (2),

at least one side wall (3, 4, 5, 6) extending from the base wall (2) in a direction of extension D of the container,

an end portion (7), comprising a neck (8) for the discharge of the product, positioned at an end of the container opposite the base wall (2) in the main direction of extension D, the base wall (2), the side walls (3, 4, 5, 6) and the end portion (7) defining a container open at the neck (8), the container comprising a gripping system (9) comprising at least one recess (10) in the side walls (3, 4, 5, 6), the recess (10) extending mainly along the main axis of extension D and having a first and a second edge (11, 12) which are convergent with each other towards the neck (8) and convergent with each other towards the base wall (2), the second edge (12) defining with a profile (3a) of the side wall (3, 4, 5, 6) a gripping portion (14) in the container, the container being characterised in that the first edge (11) has a curved shape with the concavity facing towards the second edge (12) and the second edge (12) has a curved shape and has a first section (12a) having a concavity facing towards the first edge (11) and a second section (12b), connected to the first section (12a), with a concavity facing in the opposite direction relative to the first edge (11).
The container according to claim 1, wherein the gripping portion (14) thins from the neck (8) towards the base wall (2).
The container according to claim 1, wherein the second section (12b) of the second edge (12) is closer to the neck (8) of the container with respect to the first section (12a) of the second edge (12).
The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second edges (11, 12) are joined to one another on the side of the neck of the container.
The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recess (10) has a depth D of between mm 4 and mm 12 according to the volume of the container.
The container according to claim 1 wherein the maximum distance D1 between the concave section of the first edge (11) and the concave section of the second edge (12) is between 18 mm and 55 mm according to the volume of the container.
The container according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a first side wall (3) defining an front frontal wall, a second side wall (4) defining a rear frontal wall, at least a third side wall (5, 6) connecting the first and second side walls (3, 4), the first, second and third side walls (3, 4, 5, 6) extending from the base wall (2) in the main direction of extension D, connected to each other and being closed at the top by the end portion (7) of the container, the recess (10) being formed on the first side wall (3).
The container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recess (10) is delimited by at least one base (20), by a first wall (21) and by a second end wall (22), the first and second end walls (21, 22) starting from the base (20) and facing each other.
The container according to claim 8, wherein the first and second walls (21, 22) of the recess (10) extend from the base (20) to the side walls (3, 4, 5, 6), the first and second walls (21, 22) of the recess (10) being respectively delimited, at the wall (3, 4, 5, 6) by the first and second edges (11, 12).