WO2005030590A2

WO2005030590A2 - Container with a rounded triangular shape

Info

Publication number: WO2005030590A2
Application number: PCT/NL2004/000686
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joost Janno De Bree; Kay Ashley Sinclair; Karl James Hewson
Original assignee: Heineken Technical Services B.V.
Priority date: 2003-10-02
Filing date: 2004-10-01
Publication date: 2005-04-07
Also published as: WO2005030590A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a container having a rounded triangular cross-sectional shape. The container comprises three rounded comers (16, 17, 18), each connected by a curved line section (13, 14 and 15). The near circular rounded triangular shape provides a container, such as a bottle with an improved ergonomic grip while imparting to the user an impression corresponding at first instance to a regular circular cylindrical container. The container of the present invention allows artwork and labelling used on existing circular cylindrical container and allows bottle handling during and after filling label application and packaging without major modifications to existing equipment.

Description

Container with a rounded triangular shape

The invention relates to a container having a rounded triangular cross sectional shape and to a closure for such a container. From German Gebrauchsmuster GM 80 03 050 a rounded triangular bottle according to the preamble of claim 1 is known which has improved gripping properties and which allows proper handling during use. The known bottle will provide three defined sides for approaching the bottle by a user, but is not optimised for gripping comfort. Especially when the bottle is held in the hand of an average adult user, prolonged gripping may lead to an uncomfortable feeling in case the bottle is not properly dimensioned. Furthermore, the triangular appearance of the bottle may strike the user as deviant when being used to cylindrical bottles. Triangular bottles are known, for instance marketed under the trade name Glenn Fiddich, and containing 0.75 1 or 1 1 of whiskey. These bottles have such a size and shape that the user recognises them as being triangular and distinct from regular circle cylindrical bottles. The known rounded triangular bottles are used to pour a quantity of the contents into a glass, after which the bottle is closed, put away and the contents of the glass are consumed, if required repeatedly until the bottle is emptied. It is an object of the present invention to provide a container, in particular a bottle, which is of a rounded triangular shape and which has an improved ergonomic grip while imparting on the user an impression corresponding at first instance to a regular circle cylindrical container. It is a further object of the invention to provide a container providing a natural and secure gripping orientation in the hand of a user. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a container having an improved ergonomic grip while at the same time allowing artwork and labelling which closely corresponds to art work and labelling on existing circular cylindrical containers and allowing bottle handling during and after filling, label application and packaging without major modifications to existing equipment used for circle cylindrical containers. It is again an object of the present invention to provide a container which to the user provides a surprising difference in optical and gripping sensation. Hereto the container according to the present invention is characterised in that the length of the diameter (D_H) is between 5,5 and 6,5 cm, a height (H₀) of the container being between 15 and 25 cm, the volume of the container being between 0,3 1 and 0,4 1. The container according to the present invention is held in the hand of the user in a preferred natural orientation. In one orientation the first point faces the interconnection of the base of index finger and thumb of the hand, with the fingers and thumb of the user extending along the first and second curved line sections. In a preferred gripping orientation the length of the diameter is such that in an average hand of an adult user, one comer is situated at or near the second index finger joint, preferably near the junction of the second and third index finger joint, a second corner being situated between the base of the thumb and the base of index finger, and the third corner being situated between the junction of the first and second joint of the thumb and the end of the index finger. In this natural gripping position, the user can drink from the container, which may be a beer bottle or he can pour the contents from the bottle into a glass, the contents of the bottle being consumed without reclosing of the bottle. The relatively small size of the container, in combination with the near-round triangular shape, imparts to the container the optical impression of being circular cylindrical, while at the same time fitting naturally to the anatomy of the users opened hand. Hereby a secure and natural grip is obtained, without the need for depressions or other grip- enhancing elements in the container surface. By the combination of the circular appearance of the bottle and the natural ergonomic gripping orientation it is possible to maintain the distinctive character of the known circular cylindrical bottle and corresponding decorations and labelling in the market while obtaining an improved grip, in contrast to known methods of providing depressions into the surface of a circular cylindrical container corresponding to parts of the hand. Such depressions have a disturbing effect on the artwork and labelling of the bottle, and often result in an unattractive appearance. The near-round triangular shape of the container allows use of existing bottle handling equipment in the filling lines, label applicators and packaging (such as plastic crates for beer bottles) of circular cylindrical containers, to be used without modifications or at most with only slight modifications. The container of the present invention can for instance be rotated between two parallel surfaces at a constant distance, while maintaining in contact with each surface. Hereby, the container can for instance be driven by a film while transferring an image transfer label from said film such as described in US-536,625 or EP-819.082. The film is fed past the bottle in a reel-to reel transport process tangential to the bottle and may rotationally drive the bottle by friction. The container according to the present invention may be formed of metal, plastic or glass. In case the container is made of metal it can be a steel or aluminium can or bottle. The container may be a plastic bottle, such as PET bottle, or a glass bottle. Preferably the container is a transparent bottle, such that the optical impression of roundness is very strong. The bottle neck may be of circular or of rounded triangular cross-section. The same applies to the opening, which in case it is rounded triangular, is closed by a rounded triangular closure, such as a crown cork. Preferably, the container body has a height ΕL₁ , the container comprising a neck with a height H ₂ , wherein the height of the container is about equal to the sum of the body height and the neck height, and wherein the height of the neck, H₂ , is between 0.6 and 1.5 times the height of the body, H _j , preferably between 0.6 and 1 times H _t . By the relatively long neck, a general slim and cylindrically looking container of rounded triangular cross section is obtained, with a distinctive ergonomic grip and ergonomic drinking properties when drinking from the bottle via the relatively long bottle neck. The invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a bottle according to the present invention, Figs. 2 and 3 show a cross-sectional view along the lines U-II and III-III of Fig. 1 respectively, Fig. 4 shows a bottom view of the bottle of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 shows an enlarged view of the cross section of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 shows a bottle according to the present invention being held by the user in a first orientation, Fig. 7 shows a crown cork having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the cross section of Figs. 2-4, and Fig. 8 shows a bottle according to the present invention, being held by the user in a preferred orientation. Fig. 1 shows a bottle 1, such as a glass bottle of clear or coloured glass. The bottle 1 comprises a body 2 of a height H, of for instance 14.3 cm, with a curved shoulder 3 and a neck 4. The neck 4 tapers has a height H₂ of for instance 8.8 cm and from a broad neck portion near the shoulder 3 having a width of about 4 cm to an opening 5 with circular cross-section at which the diameter of the neck is about 2.5 cm.

The neck 4 has a cross section of a rounded triangular shape as shown in Fig. 2. The body 2 has a cross-section of a rounded triangular shape as shown in Fig. 3. The bottom of the bottle 1 comprises a shape shown in Fig. 4, in which a ribbed anti-slip structure 8 is situated along inner rounded triangular contour 1, alongside the outer contour 6 of the bottle body 2. The height Ho of the bottle 1 is 23 cm, the height of the neck is about

8.8 cm, and the filling volume of the bottle is about 33 cl, the total full volume being about 35 cl. In Fig. 2 it can be seen that the cross section of the neck 4 has a near-circular or rounded triangular shape having three curved line sections 13,14,15 with a radius of curvature Rl of 28.5 mm and three rounded comers 16, 17 and 18 with a radius of curvature R2 of 13.05 mm, the largest diameter D_H being 41.2 cm in length. In Fig. 3 it can be seen that the cross section of the container body 2 is of similar shape as the neck 4, and has curved line sections 13-15 with radius of curvature Rl of 37 mm and rounded comers 16-18 with a radius of curvature R2 of 21.9 cm, the largest diameter D_H measuring 58.9 mm. The ratio R2:R1 in the cross sections of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 is between 0.4 and 0.8, preferably between 0.4 and 0.6. In Fig. 5 it can be seen that a circle 21 with a centre c can be defined with a horizontal diameter D_H corresponding to the distance between first point 10 and the point of intersection 22 of the horizontal axis X with the third curved line section 14.

The centre c of the circle 21 is located halfway between the point of intersection 22 and the first point 10. A vertical diameter D_v of the circle 21 and the horizontal diameter

D_H divide the circle 21 into four quadrants Ql, Q2, Q3 and Q4. In the first and fourth quadrants Ql and Q4, the first and second curved line sections 13 and 15 are located inward of the circle 21. The surface area bounded by the vertical diameter DV and the first and second curved line sections 13 and 15 is between 0.70 and 0.99 %, preferably about 0.9 times the surface area bounded by the vertical diameter D_y and the circle 21

(half the surface area of the circle 21: rD^/8). In the second and third quadrants Q2 and Q3, the second and third points 11,12 are located on an interconnection line I, and are situated outward of the circle 21. The distance between the points 11, 12 along the interconnection line I is between 1.01 and 1.5 times the length of the chord CH, defined by points 19 and 20 on the circle 21, along the interconnection line I. The surface area defined by rounded comers 17,18, the second line section 14 and the vertical diameter D_H is between 1,01 and 1.5 times the area of the second and third quadrants Q2 and Q3 (half circle area), preferably about 1.15. As can be seen in Fig. 6, the bottle 1 fits anatomically in the hand 30 of a user. Herein the first and second curved line sections 13, 15 are located along the fingers 33 and thumb 32 respectively. The first point 16 is placed in the vicinity of the interconnection of thumb 32 and index finger 31. The third curved line section 14 bridges the space between the tips of index finger 31 and thumb 32. The bottle provides and anatomically comfortable, secure and natural grip while presenting to the user a round appearance. By the round appearance the art work and labels on the bottle can closely correspond to those used on circle cylindrical bottles, and are not disturbed in appearance by the curved surface defined by curved line sections 13, 14 and 15. Furthermore, the near round geometry of the bottle allows bottle handling in the filling line, labelling by a label applicator, packaging and transporting in crates or cartons to be carried out with only minor adaptations to existing equipment used for circle cylindrical bottles. It can be seen in Fig. 6 that the bottle 2 has a rounded triangular opening 5, which can be covered by a rounded triangular closure 35, such as a rounded triangular crown cork or glass disc such as described in International patent application nr. WO01/34471 in the name of the applicant, such as shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 8 a preferred orientation of the bottle 1 is shown in which the first point 16 is located in the curved index finger 31, close to the interconnection 36 of the first and second joints 34, 35 of the index finger 31. The second point 18 is situated between the base 37 of the thumb 32 and the base 38 of the index finger 31. The third point 17 is situated at the first joint 40 of the thumb 32, and will in general be situated between the interconnection 39 of first joint 40 and second joint 41 of the thumb 32 and the tip 42 of the index finger 31. The curved index finger 31 extends in a natural position along curved surfaces 13 and 15 whereas the curved surface 14 extends along the thumb 32 in a natural gripping position.

Claims

1. Container (1) for beverage comprising a container body (2) and an opening (5) for dispensing drinks from the container body, wherein the container body has in a transverse cross-section a first point (10) on an axis (X), and a second and a third point (11,12) on a respective side of the axis (X), the first point (10) being connected to the second and third points (11,12) via a respective first and second curved line section (13,15), the second and third points (11,12) being interconnected via a third curved line section (14), the line sections (13,14,15) in each point (10,11,12) defining a rounded comer (16,17,18), wherein a diameter (D_H) of a circle (21) is defined by the distance between the first point (10) and the point of intersection (22) of the third line section (14) with the axis (X), the centre (c) of the circle (21) lying halfway between the point of intersection (22) and the first point (10), the second and third points (11,12) being situated outside the circle (21), an interconnection line (I) perpendicular to the axis (X) interconnecting the second and third points (11,12), the interconnection line (I) being situated at a distance from the circle centre (c), wherein the length of the diameter (D_H ) is between 5,5 and 6,5 cm, a height (H₀) of the container being between 15 and 25 cm, the volume of the container being between 0,3 1 and 0,4 1.

2. Container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the container body has a height Η_{l 5} the container comprising a neck (4) with a height H ₂ , wherein the height of the container H ₀ is about equal to the sum of the body height HI and the neck height H ₂ , and wherein the height H₂ of the neck (4), is between 0.6 and 1.5 times the height of the body, H _γ , preferably between 0.6 and 1 times H _t .

3. Container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the length of the diameter (D_H)is such that in an average hand of an adult user, one comer (16) is situated at or near the second index finger joint (35), preferably near the junction (36) of the second and third index finger joint, a second comer (18) being situated between the base (37) of the thumb (32) and the base of index finger (31), and the third comer (17) being situated between the junction (39) of the first (40) and second joint (41) of the thumb and the end (42) of the index finger (31).

4. Container (1) for beverage comprising a container body (2) and an opening (5) for dispensing drinks from the container body, wherein the container body has in a transverse cross-section a first point (10) on an axis (X), and a second and a third point (11,12) on a respective side of the axis (X), the first point (10) being connected to the second and third points (11,12) via a respective first and second curved line section (13,15), the second and third points (11,12) being interconnected via a third curved line section (14), the line sections (13,14,15) in each point (10,11,12) defining a rounded comer (16,17,18), wherein a diameter (D_H) of a circle (21) is defined by the distance between the first point (10) and the point of intersection (22) of the third line section (14) with the axis (X), the centre (c) of the circle (21) lying halfway between the point of intersection (22) and the first point (10), the second and third points (11,12) being situated outside the circle (21), an interconnection line (I) perpendicular to the axis (X) interconnecting the second and third points (11,12), the interconnection line (I) being situated at a distance from the circle centre (c), wherein the length of the diameter, wherein the length of the diameter (DH) is such that in an average hand of an adult user, one comer (16) is situated at or near the second index finger joint, preferably near the junction (36) of the second and third index finger joint, a second comer (18) being situated between the base (37) of the thumb (32) and the base of index finger (31), and the third comer (17) being situated between the junction (39) of the first (40) and second (41) joints of the thumb (32) and the end (42) of the index finger (31).

5. Container according to claim 4, wherein the container body has a height H, , the container comprising a neck (4) with a height H ₂ , wherein the height of the container H₀ is about equal to the sum of the body height R_l and the neck height H₂ , and wherein the height H₂ of the neck (4), is between 0.6 and 1.5 times the height of the body, H _j , preferably between 0.6 and 1 times H _j .

6. Container (1) according to any of claims 1-5, wherein the distance between the second and the third points (11,12) along the interconnection line (I) is between 1.01 and 1.5 times the length of the chord (CH) of the circle along the interconnection line

(I)-

7. Container (1) according to claim 6, wherein the surface area bounded by a vertical diameter (D_v ) of the circle (21) and the first and second line sections (13,15) is between 0.80 and 0.99 times the surface area of half the circle, and the area bounded by the vertical diameter (D_v ), the rounded comers (17,18) and the third line section (14) being between 1,01 and 1,5 time the surface area of half the circle.

8. Container (1) according to claim 2 or 5, wherein the container comprises a neck (4) having a cross section similar in shape to the cross section of the container body (2).

9. Container (1) according to claim 2 or 5, wherein the container comprises a neck (4) having a round cross section.

10. Container (1) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the neck (4) is tapering going from the container body to the opening (5).

11. Container (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (5) has a cross section similar in shape to the cross section of the container body (2).

12. Container (1) according to any of the preceding claims, the container being formed of a transparent material.

13. Container (1) according to claim 12, the container comprising glass.

14. Container (1) according to claim 13, the glass being coloured.

15. Container (1) according to any of the preceding claims, the sum of the radius of curvature (Rl) of the third line section (14) and of the radius of curvature (R2) of the rounded corners substantially corresponding to the length of the diameter (D_H) of the circle (21).

16. Closure (35) for a container (1) having an opening (5) with a first point (10) on an axis (X), and a second and a third point (11,12) on a respective side of the axis (X), the first point (10) being connected to the second and third points (11,12) via a respective first and second curved line section (13,15), the second and third points (11,12) being interconnected via a third curved line section (14), the line sections in each point defining a rounded comer (16,17,18), the closure (35) corresponding to the i shape of the opening.

17. Closure (35) according to claim 16, the closure being a crown cork.