GB2357491A

GB2357491A - Preform for manufacturing a large capacity bottle and a bottle so made

Info

Publication number: GB2357491A
Application number: GB0027903A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Laurent Aime Stiz
Original assignee: Societe des Eaux de Volvic SAS
Current assignee: Societe des Eaux de Volvic SAS
Priority date: 1999-11-18
Filing date: 2000-11-15
Publication date: 2001-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 2020-11-15
Also published as: FR2801276B1; GB2357491B; FR2801276A1; LU90662B1; NL1016651C2; GB0027903D0; NL1016651A1; BE1014242A5; DE20019529U1

Abstract

A preform (1) made from a thermoplastic material, in particular PET, for manufacturing large capacity bottles of at least about 5 litres by blowing or steam-blowing, is of a generally cylindrical shape in revolution and is characterised in that the preform (1), including its neck (4), which is already formed to its final dimensions, has an external diameter ( ) of at least 48 mm, preferably between about 48 and 60 mm and in practice approximately 50 mm. The upper part of the bottle may have an inclined, substantially flat region on which the bottle may be laid down.

Description

2357491 PREFORM FOR MANUFACTURING A LARGE CAPACITY BOTTLE AND BOTTLE

SO1MADE 1 The present invention relates,o improvements made in the manufacture of bottles of a relatively large capacity, that is, at least approx mately 5 litres and made from a thermoplastic material in particular PET, said bottles being obtained by blowing or steam-blowing a heated preform of a generally cylindrical shape of revolution.

Large capacity bottles in the region of some 5 litres are already used as a mens of distributing drinking water such as spring water or mineral water. These bottles are of a relatively suat design having a body of a comparatively large t,ransverse dimension relative to their height. For exam le, this transverse dimension (diameter if the body is und) may be roughly the same as the height or just slightly short of the height.

When manufacturing a bottle of this design by blowing or steam-blowing, the heated plastics material (for example PET or PEN) is subjected to a very high rate of elongation if starting with a peform of a standard shape (which is of a generally cylindrical shape in revolution with an external diamete of approximately 25 to 27 mm). It should be pointed outIthat this stretching is much more prevalent in the transverse direction than vertically as compared with a stadard 1.5 litre or 2 litre bottle of a slightly greaer height but much smaller diameter, in which case str tching is greater in the axial direction than in the tra sverse direction.

The difficulties inherent in ransverse stretching 2 are all the more acute if the body does not have a rounded section but has a more or less square section with rounded corners. In this case, the material has a smaller thickness in the corner regions where stretching is at its maximum.

Of course, technical solutions have been found as a means of overcoming these drawbacks, in particular by heating the preform to a greater degree in the regions where stretching is at a minimum so that they are stretched more easily, and so that the thickness of the material at these points assumes a value more or less the same as that of the corners.

However, these solutions require specific adjustments to be made to the means used to heat the preforms and/or moulding means and have therefore proved expensive.

The main purpose of the invention is to provide a simple solution that is inexpensive to implement and which does not require any substantial modification to the heating and moulding equipment.

To these ends, the invention provides a preform made from a thermoplastic material, in particular PET, for manufacturing large capacity bottles, having a capacity of at least approximately 5 litres by blowing or steamblowing, said preform being of a generally cylindrical shape in revolution and said preform, as proposed by the invention, being characterised in that it has an external diameter, including its neck, which is already formed and is so to the final dimensions, of at least about 48 mm.

Preferably, the external diameter is between about 48 and 60 mm. In practice, in the particular case of a preform typically designed for manufacturing a bottle with a 3 height in the order of 230 mm and a body with a i rectangular section of about 185 x lO mm, with generally 1 rounded corners, the external diame ter is approximately mm.

Advantageously, the neck has an external annular groove so that the closure of the!bottle can be fixed onto the neck by a push-fit action n said groove.

In accordance with a second embodiment, the invention provides a large capacity bottle, having a capacity of at least approximately 5litres, wherein-said bottle, being designed as proposed by the invention, is characterised in that it is manufactured from a preform as def ined above and in that it ihas a neck with an external diameter of at least about 48 mm. Preferably, the neck has an external diameter inithe range of between about 48 and 60 mm. In practice in the particular case of a large capacity bottle (about 5 lites) with a height of about 230 mm and a cambered body with a rectangular section of about. 185 x 150 mm havi g generally rounded corners, the external diameter is a proximately 50 mm.

Although the features proposedIby the invention can be used with bottles of any shape, hey are particularly practical in the case of a bottle wich is characterised by the fact that its neck is disposed centrally on and substantially coaxially with the bo Y the upper part of the body underneath the neck having an at least partially substantially flat and inclined region defining a support plane of an extension and inclina ion relative to the axis of the neck such that, when t he bottle is set down by its support plane on a more' or ess horizontal support, the bottle occupies a stable position and the neck then becomes the lowest pat of the bottle. A 4 closure device is fitted on the bottle and can be selectively manipulated to allow the liquid to flow out by under the force of gravity. Preferably the neck may have an external annular groove and the closure device can be pushed into this groove in a snap-fit action. A bottle of this type is described and illustrated in document FR 99 10605 (corresponding to UK application no. 0020239.0).

Due to the features proposed by the invention, a bottle is provided which has a more uniform wall thickness, without this improved feature adding significantly to the cost in terms of manufacturing equipment.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of certain embodiments, provided purely by way of illustration. Throughout this description, reference will be made to the appended drawings, of which:

- figure 1 shows a view in diametric section of a preform designed as proposed by the invention; - figure 2 is a view in section but on a larger scale of the top part of the preform of figure 1; - figure 3 is a side view of a bottle with a neck design as proposed by the invention; and figures 4 and 5 are side views of a preferred embodiment of a bottle having the design proposed by the invention, shown in two different operating positions.

Turning firstly to figure 1, a preform 1 made from a thermoplastic material such as PET, PEN or any other is illustrated in diametrical section and has a generally cylindrical shape in revolution. This preform is designed for the manufacture of large capacity bottles having a capacity of at least approximately 51 litres by blowing or steam-blowing.

In a conventional manner, the preform 1 has a body 2 with a thick wall which is closedoff at the bottom by a cambered base 3 with a spherica dome and which is terminated at the upper end by a teminal part 4 formed so as to have the shape and final d 'mensions of the neck of the bottle to be produced. The terminal part or neck 4 is of approximately the same extenal diameter as the body 2.

In order to make it easier to produce a large capacity bottle (having a capacity of at least approximately 5 litres) with a camb red body by means of a process in which the heated preform 1 is blown or steam-blown, whilst producing said bottle with a wall thickness as regular as possible, it is proposed that in order to reduce as far as possiblethe extent to which the thermoplastic material wW be stretched, particularly in the transverse direction, the preform will be given a particularly large transverse dimension relative to its length. In particulr, if the preform is to retain a standard length in the egion of 130 to 150 mm, its external diameter o will be;at least about 48 mm instead of the 25 to 27 mm usually ncountered. 25 For practical purposes, the exernal diameter o may be in the range of between about 481to 60 mm. In a situation where a bottle olding approximately 5 litresAs to be produced, having height in the order of 230 mm and a body with an approximately rectangular 30 section of about 185 x 150 mm with largely rounded edges, the external diameter o will prefer -bly be about 50 mm. on a larger scale, figure 2 il ustrates the neck 4, 6 which has an annular groove 5 bounded at the top by a collar 6 defining the rim or lip of the neck and at the bottom by an enlarged collar 7 which may be used for automated manipulation of the preform and, later, of the finished bottle. The base of the groove 5 extends across a diameter substantially equal to the external diameter o of the body of the preform.

Figure 3 illustrates a side view of an example of a large capacity bottle 8 with a cambered body 9 obtained from the preform 1 illustrated in figure 1 by a process in which the heated preform is blown or steamblown.

The bottle 8 is provided with the preshaped and dimensioned neck 4 of the preform 1, on which a cap 10 is placed, in this case one which is pushed into said groove 5 in a snapfit action.

Clearly, it would not be a departure from the scope of the invention if an external thread were provided on the neck 4 to receive a screw-cap.

The neck of the bottle 8 is of a large diameter, larger than the diameter of a conventional bottle (which is in the region of 25 to 27 mm) and larger than that usually encountered in containers or bottles designed to hold several litres (for example 5 litres), where the diameter is typically in the region of 40 mm.

The features proposed by the invention seem to be particularly applicable, although not exclusively so, to a bottle such as that illustrated in an upright position in figure 4 and laid down on its side in figure 5. This type of bottle, described and illustrated in document FR 99 10605, has its neck 4 disposed centrally on and substantially coaxially (axis X) with the body 9. The top part of the body 9 underneath the neck 4 has an at least 7 partially substantially flat regionIll inclined relative to the axis X, which defines a support plane. This support plane is of an extension andinclined relative to the axis of the neck 4 and the body such that, when the bottle 8 is laid on its support plane 11 on a more or less horizontal support 12 (figur 5), the bottle 8 occupies a stable position and the eck 4 then occupies the lowest part of the container!so that the liquid product contained in it (water in p4 rticular) is able to flow out under the force of gravity;! In order to make it easier to control an outflow of liquid (for example to fill a glass, as illustrated in f igures 4 and 5, the bottle 8 ma be f itted with a closure device 13 which has a cl osure which can be axially manipulated by a button 14 u ing the thumb of one hand whilst the index and middle fin ers are supported on an external collar 15. The liqui flows through an inclined orifice 16 which, when th bottle 8 is in the laid down position (figure 5), etends approximately vertically, said orifice being dir cted downwards from the support plane 11.

The closure device 13 has a ollow base 17 of a large diameter and is designed to e pushed onto said groove 5 of the neck 4 in a snapfit] action.

8

Claims

1. A preform (1) made from a thermoplastic material, in particular PET, for manufacturing large capacity bottles having a capacity of at least about 5 litres by a blowing or steamblowing process, said preform being of a generally cylindrical shape in revolution, characterised in that the preform (1), including its neck (4) which is already formed and is so to its final dimensions, has an external diameter (o) of at least about 48 mm.

2. A preform as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it has an external diameter (o) in the range of about 48 to 60 mm.

3. A preform as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it has an external diameter (o) of approximately 50 mm.

4. A preform as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the neck (4) has an external annular groove (5), by means of which a closure of the bottle can be fixed onto the neck by a snap-fit action in said groove.

5. A preform as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the length of the preform is about 130 to 150mm. 25

6. A bottle (8) having a capacity of at least about 5 litres and being made from a thermoplastic material, in particular PET, characterised in that it is manufactured from a preform (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said bottle has a neck (4) with an external diameter (o) of at least approximately 48 mm.

7. A bottle as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the neck (4) has an external diameter (o) in the 9 range of about 48 to 60 mm.

8. A bottle as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the neck 4) has an external diameter (o) of approximately 50 mm. 5

9. A bottle as claimed in any One of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that: its neck (4) is disposed centrally and substantially coaxially (axis X) on the body (9) the upper part of the body (9)!! underneath the neck (4) has an at least partially substantially flat and inclined region (11) which defines a',support plane having an extension and inclination, relative to the axis (X) of the neck (4) such that, when the bottle (8) is laid down on its support plane (11) on a more or less horizontal support (12), the bottle occupies 4 i stable position and the neck (4) then occupies the lowest part of the bottle; and a closure device (13) is provided on the neck (4), which can be selectively manipulated to allow the liquid to flow out under the force of gravty.

10. A bottle as claimed in clai 9, characterised in that the neck (4) has an external anular groove (5) and in that the closure device (13) is pushed into this groove (5) in a snap-fit action.