MXPA05011188A - Hot fill bottle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a hot fill bottle (10) of polymeric material having a plurality of thermal expansion panels equally spaced around a peripheral wall of the bottle and three dimensional logos embossed into the peripheral wall of the bottle. The three dimensional logos constitute, at least in part, the thermal expansion panels. Thus, instead of the thermal expansion panels contributing to an unsightly component of the bottle that needs to be covered up by a label, it is now possible to make the thermal expansion panel double as an eye catching logo.

Description

BOTTLE FOR HOT FILLING This invention relates to a hot-fill bottle and more particularly to a hot-fill beverage bottle made of blow-molded polyester resin, usually of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION PET bottles for hot filling have become very popular as an attractive disposable beverage container. The process for manufacturing and filling a hot fill bottle is to fill the molded PET bottle with liquid at a temperature of about 83 ° C and seal the container while the liquid is hot to provide adequate sterilization. The filling of the bottle at that temperature and subsequent cooling to room temperature causes a bottle of 700 ml, approximately 25 ml to 30 ml of contraction of contents. As the PET bottles are filled there is a slight expansion caused by the gravitational effect of the hot liquid on the softened plastics. However, as the contents cool they contract therefore causing a partial vacuum in the heated bottles. ' The partial vacuum may, unless restricted by the structure of the bottle, cause uncontrolled distortion of the wall (s) of the bottles. The uncontrolled distortion can give the bottles an appearance of deformity that makes the labeling of the bottles difficult and detracts the commercialization of the final product.

Searches have been done in considerable quantities on the profile design of a bottle that can facilitate shrinkage without distorting the shape and final appearance of the bottle. A well-known proposal is to offer a series of thermal expansion panels in a lower portion of the bottle. These panels are usually in number of six and are equally separated around the periphery of the bottle. The panels have a cricket pole projection that contracts inward to compensate for the volume reduction as the contents cool to room temperature. The thermal expansion panels ensure that the rest and the Aesthetically most critical components of the container are not distorted. It is usual to cover the thermal expansion panels with a label to distinguish in some way their unsightly nature.

There have been other suggestions to vary the number and positioning of the panels to achieve the same contraction function.

PET bottles for hot filling of the kind described are also designed to be aesthetically pleasing and have flanges and other reinforcement devices incorporated in the bottle profile to ensure that the bottle can withstand the stress to which they could be subjected in use. Bottle designers of this class also commonly wish to include in the structure of the bottle themselves registered trademarks embedded by means of words or devices.

It is these objects that have caused the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention there is provided a bottle for hot filling of polymeric material having a plurality of thermal expansion panels equally positioned around the periphery of the bottle and three three-dimensional logos embedded in the wall of the bottle characterized in that the three dimensions constitute the logo, at least in one part, the thermal expansion panels.

Preferably, three thermal expansion panels are equally spaced around the bottle.

The three three-dimensional logos each comprise two concave teardrop shapes interconnected by a raised earth by means of which teardrop shapes are flexed to compensate for changes in volume of the bottle.

Preferably, the bottle is blow molded in polyester resin, usually polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 to 3 are side elevation views of a PET bottle for hot filling observed from different angles; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines A-A of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an elongated detail of the part of Figure 4 within the circle B; Figures 6 to 8 are side elevation views of a PET bottle for hot filling according to a second embodiment observed from different angles; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines A-A of Figure 6 and Figure 10 is an enlarged view of the part of Figure 9 within circle B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The Figures of the drawings 1 to 10 illustrate two embodiments of hot filled PET bottles. The modalities are of a similar design and in addition only one is described in detail.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5 a PET bottle 10 comprises a base 11, a body 12 which is divided into a lower portion 13 and a portion of the torso 14. The torso portion fusing into a shoulder 15 which in turn terminates in an externally threaded neck 16. The threaded neck 16 is adapted to support an internally threaded cap or closure (not shown). The lower body portion is of substantially circular cross section and is provided with a series of (preferably four) reinforcing edges 20. The adjacent reinforcing edges are separated by an annular groove 21. A wider annular groove 22 separates the portion of the lower body 13 of the torso portion 14. The torso portion 14 is also substantially of circular cross section with a slight inclination towards the neck 16 of the bottle 10. The torso portion 14 comprises three equally spaced lands 25, 26, 27, each separated by thermal expansion panels 30, 31, 32 so that the entire portion is constituted by the three lands 25, 26, 27 and the three panels 30, 31, 32. Each land 25, 26 or 27 is embeds with the trademark AQUAVETA ™ which extends substantially along the length of the earth in a substantially two-dimensional formation of letters.

Each thermal expansion panel 30, 31, 32 comprises a substantially planar area 40 which has centrally positioned therefrom two recesses in the shape of tear drop 41, 42. Recesses 41, 42 are separated by an ascending earth in the form of an S 43. The tear drop recesses 41, 42 define concave panels that can flex relative to their periphery, further allowing the bottle to accommodate the contraction caused by the cooling of the liquid.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 6 to 10, a substantially similar bottle 10 is illustrated except that in this embodiment the three lands 25, 26, 27 bearing the word of the embedded mark have the mark placed on a border bordered in the form of bone 50 In addition, the thermal expansion panels 30, 31, 32 while incorporating two tear drop recesses 41, 43 joined by the S-shaped land 43, the recesses 41, 42 are enclosed within of the raised rim 52 defining an oval-shaped space containing the tear drop recesses 41, 42.

In both modalities the recesses in the shape of tear drop 41, 42 constitutes a three-dimensional logo that serves as an additional mark.

The PET bottle for hot filling 10 describes in both the above embodiments that elegantly incorporate a three-dimensional logo with the thermal expansion panel. In addition, instead of the thermal expansion panels that contribute to an unsightly component of the bottle that needs to be covered by a label, it is now possible to take the double thermal expansion panel as a logo that captures the eye. In this case, a three-dimensional dual tear drop logo.

The invention in its broadest aspect envisages many types of three-dimensional logo and a variety of a number of thermal expansion panels. The embedded mark that is in the preferred mode may vary or be omitted. It is understood that the capacity and size of the bottle could vary, for example from approximately 350 ml to 1.5 liters through sizes of 500 ml, 700 ml and 1 liter.

Claims (8)

1. A bottle for hot filling of polymer material having a plurality of thermal expansion panels equally spaced around a peripheral wall of the bottle and three-dimensional logos on the peripheral wall of the bottle characterized in that the three-dimensional logos constitute at least in part the thermal expansion panels.

2. A bottle for hot filling according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional logos constitute the totality of the thermal expansion panels.

3. A bottle for hot filling according to claim 1 or 2, wherein three equally spaced thermal expansion panels are provided.

4. A bottle for hot filling according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the three-dimensional logos comprises two concave teardrop shapes interconnected by a raised ground by means of which the drop-shaped teardrop shapes They are able to flex to compensate for volume changes in the bottle.

5. The bottle for hot filling according to claim 4, wherein all the logos comprise two concave teardrop shapes interconnected by an elevated ground.

6. The bottle for hot filling according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bottle is blow molded into a polyester resin.

7. The bottle for hot filling according to claim 6, wherein said polyester resin is polyethylene terephthalate.

8. A bottle for hot filling substantially as described above in this document with reference to any of Figures 1 to 10.