US20150014274A1 - Plastics container - Google Patents
Plastics container Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20150014274A1 US20150014274A1 US14/498,852 US201414498852A US2015014274A1 US 20150014274 A1 US20150014274 A1 US 20150014274A1 US 201414498852 A US201414498852 A US 201414498852A US 2015014274 A1 US2015014274 A1 US 2015014274A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- sidewalls
- canceled
- spout
- container
- footprint
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 title description 29
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 title description 29
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 claims description 13
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims 2
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims 2
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims 2
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 abstract description 16
- 239000008267 milk Substances 0.000 description 13
- 210000004080 milk Anatomy 0.000 description 13
- 235000013336 milk Nutrition 0.000 description 13
- 238000000071 blow moulding Methods 0.000 description 9
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 8
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 6
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 6
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000005187 foaming Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 4
- 229910003460 diamond Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000010432 diamond Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000009826 distribution Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000002991 molded plastic Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012856 packing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002787 reinforcement Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
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
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
- B65D1/0223—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by shape
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C49/42—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C49/48—Moulds
- B29C49/4802—Moulds with means for locally compressing part(s) of the parison in the main blowing cavity
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
- B29D22/00—Producing hollow articles
- B29D22/003—Containers for packaging, storing or transporting, e.g. bottles, jars, cans, barrels, tanks
-
- 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
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
-
- 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
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
- B65D1/0207—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by material, e.g. composition, physical features
-
- 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
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
- B65D1/0223—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by shape
- B65D1/023—Neck construction
-
- 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
-
- 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
- B65D23/102—Gripping means formed in the walls, e.g. roughening, cavities, projections
-
- 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
- B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
- B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
- B65D85/72—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for for edible or potable liquids, semiliquids, or plastic or pasty materials
- B65D85/80—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for for edible or potable liquids, semiliquids, or plastic or pasty materials for milk
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C49/42—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C49/48—Moulds
- B29C2049/4879—Moulds characterised by mould configurations
- B29C2049/4887—Mould halves consisting of an independent neck and main part
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C49/02—Combined blow-moulding and manufacture of the preform or the parison
- B29C49/04—Extrusion blow-moulding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
- B29L2031/46—Knobs or handles, push-buttons, grips
- B29L2031/463—Grips, handles
-
- 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
- B65D2501/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece
- B65D2501/0009—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures designed for pouring contents
-
- 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
- B65D2501/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece
- B65D2501/0009—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures designed for pouring contents
- B65D2501/0081—Bottles of non-circular cross-section
-
- 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
- B65D2501/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece
- B65D2501/0009—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures designed for pouring contents
- B65D2501/009—Necks of non-circular cross-section
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a plastics container, particularly, but not exclusively, to a blow moulded plastics container of the kind commonly used for transporting or storing milk.
- the present invention has been devised with a view to reducing the weight ceiling of standard capacity containers without compromising structural integrity i.e. containers remain fit for purpose.
- a plastics container for storing liquid comprising: a body portion defining a chamber for storing liquid; and a neck portion mounted on and extending from the body portion, the neck portion having an open passageway therethrough for passage of liquid to/from the chamber, wherein the neck and body portions intersect in a closed loop which has a non-planar profile.
- liquid e.g. milk
- the intersection between the neck and body portions of a conventional lightweight blow moulded plastics container is a potential weak point and must be reinforced by locally increasing the thickness of plastics material in this region relative to that in the majority of the body portion.
- the present inventors believe that the weak point arises because the neck and body portions intersect in a closed loop which has a substantially planar profile.
- the present inventors have surprisingly found that by re-designing the intersection to provide a closed loop with a non-planar profile, the need for material reinforcement may be reduced or even obviated altogether. In this way, the plastics container may be made significantly lighter, perhaps even 10-15% lighter without compromising its structural integrity (e.g. as determined by the empirical 60N topload force test).
- the container is of the kind configured to stand on a planar surface, e.g. on a trolley or refrigerator shelf
- the container is preferably configured such that the body portion, neck portion and open passageway have a common longitudinal axis, intended to be generally vertical in storage (e.g. with the rim of the open passageway presented generally horizontally).
- the closed loop is preferably concentric with said common longitudinal axis of the body portion, neck portion and open passageway. Such concentricity is desirable to avoid twisting forces that might otherwise occur during topload force testing.
- Having an open passageway which is concentric with the central longitudinal axis of the body portion of the container is also advantageous in reducing foaming effects during the filling of the container with liquid, e.g. milk.
- Such containers are often referred to as “centre neck” containers and are therefore distinct in construction from containers in which the open passageway of the neck portion is “off centre” or arranged at an angle of inclination away from vertical, e.g. in the case of conventional watering cans or jerry cans.
- the closed loop may have a circular or at least substantially circular footprint. Alternatively or additionally, the closed loop may curve in three mutually perpendicular directions.
- the neck portion may have a substantially cylindrical part with a longitudinal axis, in which case the closed loop preferably curves around the longitudinal axis at a constant radius and may also curve in a direction parallel to such axis.
- the closed loop may lie on a hyperbolic paraboloid surface (which is often referred to as the saddle surface or the standard saddle surface).
- Providing a closed loop having a circular footprint is desirable for providing equalisation of forces transferred down into the body portion during topload force testing.
- the body portion of the container defines shoulders (typically a curved upper part of the body portion) and the closed loop is located at the transition between the neck portion and the shoulders of the body portion. More particularly, the closed loop is preferably located at the transition between the substantially cylindrical part and the shoulders of the body portion.
- the substantially cylindrical part may define an intermediate formation between the body portion and what is commonly referred to as the ‘neck platform’ of the container, i.e. the region at the base of the threaded neck in conventional milk containers.
- the cylindrical part defines a circular footprint and more preferably the side walls of the cylindrical part are parallel with the longitudinal axis. This provides for further concentricity of structure, advantageous during topload force testing.
- the neck portion may have a screw thread for engaging a lid with a corresponding screw thread.
- the neck portion may have a stepped profile, and the width of the neck portion may be greatest where the neck portion intersects with the body portion.
- the stepped profile may compromise a frusto-conical surface, providing a gradual variation in the width of the neck portion along at least a part of its length.
- the neck portion defines a threaded portion for receiving a lid in threaded engagement therewith and the body portion defines a upper shoulder region of curved profile; wherein the neck portion defines a circular cylindrical portion below said threaded portion, having side walls concentric with and parallel to said central longitudinal axis, and the intersection with the shoulder region of the body portion is non-planar.
- the threaded portion preferably meets the cylindrical portion in a closed loop of planar intersection.
- the cylindrical portion is an intermediate formation between the threaded portion and the body portion.
- the container is preferably of blow moulded construction (e.g. formed by blow moulding).
- a method of making a plastics container comprising the steps of providing a mould configured for producing a container according to the first aspect of the invention; and blow moulding plastics in the mould, i.e. to produce a container according to the first aspect of the invention.
- a plastics container for storing a liquid (e.g. milk), comprising a body with an integral handle defining an aperture with a central axis extending in a first direction through the body, the body having a footprint with a longitudinal axis extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the footprint has a width which varies along its longitudinal axis and is greater in a middle region of the footprint than at either longitudinal end thereof.
- a liquid e.g. milk
- a known plastics container has a substantially rectangular footprint, with two corner regions on each side of a notional centre line aligned with the longitudinal axis, with all four corner regions equidistant therefrom.
- An example is shown in FIG. 14 .
- Such a container may be of blow moulded construction, e.g. formed by blow moulding a parison in a mould with two parts which separate along a notional centre line (e.g. along the central longitudinal axis of the container in FIG. 14 ) when ejecting the container from the mould.
- a parison is blown into a square/rectangular cavity of the kind shown in FIG. 14 (in which the mould split occurs on opposing parallel faces of the container), aggressive stretching/thinning of the parison wall thickness occurs.
- each corner region represents a potential weak point in the body as a whole, and that the conventional way of overcoming this problem (i.e. by ensuring that the wall thickness at the corner regions does not fall below a minimum level) does not assist with trying to reduce the overall weight of the plastics container. Accordingly, the present inventors have proposed a container with a novel footprint in accordance with this second aspect of the invention, with less tendency for localised thinning of the wall thickness in critical areas during the blow moulding process. As a result, the overall weight of the plastics container may be reduced, whilst maintaining structural integrity and storage capacity.
- the central longitudinal axis of the footprint is preferably aligned with the split line of the mould tool in which the container is to be blow moulded.
- the footprint is non-rectangular (i.e. the footprint does not define internal right angles).
- the internal angles of the footprint in the middle region are preferably greater than the internal angles at the longitudinal ends of the footprint.
- the integral handle is preferably arranged at a corner of the container, and more preferably has a longitudinal axis which extends in line with the longitudinal axis of the body.
- the body may define a chamber for storing liquid, with the chamber extending into and/or through the integral handle.
- the footprint may be at least partially diamond-shaped (i.e. generally defining a rhombus), and the at least partially diamond-shaped footprint may be truncated at either longitudinal end thereof. Any corner region may be rounded, rather than sharp, without departing from the diamond-shaped footprint.
- the footprint may thus be substantially six-sided, with one pair of parallel sides at opposed longitudinal ends of the footprint. The parallel sides are preferably shorter than the other four sides (which are preferably of equal length).
- This six-sided configuration is distinct from a four-sided or square footprint known in the art, as well as known quasi-octagonal footprints defined by a generally square body having curved or truncated corner regions which themselves define diametrically opposing sides/surfaces.
- the novel six-sided footprint allows for close packing of multiple identical containers, with little or no wasted space therebetween.
- the width of the footprint may be greatest at the middle region, which may be at least 25%, possibly even at least 50%, greater in the middle region than at either longitudinal end of its maximum length. Further, the width of the footprint in the middle region may be less than 10 times, possibly less than about 5 times, the width at either end of the maximum length.
- the footprint may include a peripheral step, for example created by a groove in the body.
- the groove may extend in a direction perpendicular to the central and longitudinal axes and may be formed between the middle region and one longitudinal end of the footprint.
- the step may be adjacent a widest part of the footprint. Such a step may be useful for aligning a container in a predetermined orientation relative to an external datum, for example when multiple containers of the same kind and configuration are conveyed in series along a production line.
- containers of the first aspect may include one or more features of the containers of the second aspect and vice versa.
- the container of the first aspect may include an integral handle and may define a diamond-shaped footprint, preferably with the handle arranged at a corner of the body portion, more preferably in line with the longitudinal axis of the body and along a tool split line running corner to corner.
- a container of the second aspect may include the non-planar neck intersection of the first aspect.
- a container of the second aspect preferably includes a centre neck open passageway, to reduce foaming effects during the filling of the container with liquid, e.g. milk.
- a container for storing and dispensing liquids e.g. milk
- liquids e.g. milk
- a container for storing and dispensing liquids e.g. milk
- a body portion defining a chamber for storing liquid
- a neck portion mounted on and extending from the body portion, the neck portion having an open passageway therethrough for passage of liquid to/from the chamber
- the container is configured to stand on a planar surface for liquid storage purposes
- the body portion defines a central longitudinal axis and said neck portion and open passageway are coaxial therewith;
- the neck portion defines a threaded portion for receiving a lid in threaded engagement therewith and the body portion defines an upper shoulder region of curved profile;
- the neck portion defines a circular cylindrical portion below said threaded portion and having side walls concentric with and parallel to said central longitudinal axis, wherein the lower end of the cylindrical portion defines a non-planar intersection with the shoulder region of the body portion.
- the threaded portion preferably meets the cylindrical portion in a closed loop of planar intersection.
- the cylindrical portion is an intermediate formation between the threaded portion and the body portion.
- the container preferably includes an integral handle and may define a diamond-shaped footprint, preferably with the handle arranged at a corner of the body portion, more preferably with the handle eye extending along a tool split line running corner to corner.
- the container may include one or more features from the first and second aspects of the invention set forth above.
- FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of part of a plastics container embodying one aspect of the invention
- FIG. 2 shows a side view of the plastics container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 shows a front view of the plastics container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 illustrates a standard saddle surface
- FIG. 5 is a schematic cross section through a three-piece mould tool for blow moulding the container of FIGS. 1 to 3 ;
- FIGS. 6-8 illustrate a first plastics container embodying a second aspect of the invention
- FIG. 9 illustrates the first plastics container of FIGS. 6-8 being conveyed in series
- FIG. 10 illustrates the first plastics container of FIGS. 6-8 stored with other such containers on a trolley
- FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a second plastics container embodying the second aspect of the invention
- FIG. 13 illustrates the second plastics container of FIGS. 11 and 12 stored with other such containers on a trolley
- FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section through a mould tool for blow moulding a plastics container of substantially rectangular footprint
- FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a preferred mould tool for producing a blow moulded container of non-rectangular footprint.
- FIG. 1 shows a lightweight blow moulded plastics container 10 embodying one aspect of the invention.
- the container 10 comprises a body portion 12 and a neck portion 14 .
- the body portion 12 defines a chamber 16 for storing liquid (e.g. milk).
- the neck portion 14 is mounted on and extends from the body portion 12 and has an open passageway 18 therethrough which communicates with the chamber 16 and through which the container 10 is filled with, and emptied of, liquid.
- the passageway 18 may by covered with a hermetic seal.
- the neck portion 14 intersects the body portion 12 in a closed loop 20 with a non-planar profile.
- the closed loop 20 is located at the transition between the substantially cylindrical wall 22 at the base of the neck portion 14 and the upper part or shoulders 24 of the body portion 12 .
- the non-planar profile of the closed loop 20 is best illustrated with reference to FIG. 4 which shows a standard saddle surface 30 .
- the closed loop 20 lies on such a surface at a fixed distance from the central axis XX.
- the closed loop 20 has a pair of maxima 32 and a pair of minima 34 , and these are seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 disposed equidistantly around the circumference of the cylindrical wall 22 .
- the closed loop 20 has a substantially circular footprint, being bound by cylindrical wall 22 .
- the neck portion 14 may have a substantially cylindrical upper part 40 with a screw thread 42 for engaging a lid (not shown) with a corresponding screw thread.
- the cylindrical upper part 40 and cylindrical wall 22 at the base of the neck portion 14 are separated by a frusto-conical section 44 , arranged such that the neck portion is wider at its base than at its free end.
- the cylindrical upper part 40 , cylindrical wall 22 and frusto-conical section 44 are all centred on a common longitudinal axis.
- the height of the cylindrical wall 22 (in a direction parallel to the common longitudinal axis) varies in a circumferential direction around the periphery of the neck portion 14 , dependent upon curvature of the closed loop 20 in a direction parallel to the common longitudinal axis.
- the lower end of the cylindrical wall 22 defines the non-planar intersection with the shoulder region of the body portion 12 .
- the container 10 is of the kind configured to stand on a planar surface, e.g. on a trolley or refrigerator shelf More particularly, the body portion 12 , neck portion 14 and open passageway 18 have a common (central) longitudinal axis, intended to be generally vertical during storage of the container (i.e. with the rim of the open passageway 18 presented generally horizontally).
- the closed loop 20 is coaxial with said common longitudinal axis of the body portion 12 , neck portion 14 and open passageway 18 .
- the concentricity of the body portion 12 , neck portion 14 , open passageway 18 and closed loop 20 is desirable to avoid twisting forces that might otherwise occur during topload force testing.
- the container may also be referred to as a “centre neck” container, by virtue of the open passageway being concentric with the central longitudinal axis of the body portion of the container.
- Such a configuration is particularly advantageous in reducing foaming effects during the filling of the container with liquid, e.g. milk.
- the container 10 is manufactured by blow moulding using an appropriately shaped mould tool.
- An example of a suitable tool is shown in FIG. 5 , wherein the tool 50 includes a neck block 52 , body block 54 and base block 56 .
- the body block 54 and base block 56 define a continuous cavity 58 in which the body portion 12 of the container 10 is formed.
- the neck block 52 defines a cavity 60 in which the threaded neck portion 14 of the container 10 is formed.
- the neck block 52 is provided with a neck insert 62 configured to define the desired shape and thread formation of the neck portion 14 .
- Neck inserts of different internal configuration are interchangeable within the neck block 52 .
- the neck block 52 may be interchangeable with different body blocks 54 .
- the body portion 12 and neck portion 14 are distinct parts of the container 10 , which are conventionally defined by distinct pieces of the mould tool 50 , i.e. the body block 54 and neck block 52 , respectively, separated by a split line 64 of the tool 50 (at the transition between the neck block 52 and the body block 54 ).
- the closed loop 20 is below the split line. More particularly, the cylindrical part 22 of the neck portion 14 is formed below the split line 64 , within the body block 54 .
- the closed loop 20 is located adjacent, yet below, what is commonly referred to as the ‘neck platform’ of the container (known conventionally as the part of the neck portion which meets the shoulders of the body portion).
- the cylindrical part is effectively an intermediate formation between the neck platform and the shoulders of the body portion.
- the closed loop and associated intermediate formation is formed in the body block 54 , so that different threaded portions can be blow moulded therewith using different neck blocks 52 .
- the result is a strengthened container, which overcomes the conventional requirement for increased wall thickness between the neck and body portions in order to overcome structural weakness.
- FIGS. 6-8 illustrate respectively perspective, plan and front views of a first plastics container 110 embodying a second aspect of the invention
- FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate respectively plan and front views of a second plastics container 210 embodying the second aspect of the invention.
- the first and second plastics containers 110 , 210 have different capacities, with the first container 110 having a 1 pint capacity and the second container 210 having a 6 pint capacity. Otherwise, the first and second containers 110 , 210 have many features in common, including a body 120 , 220 with a neck portion 124 , 224 which intersects the rest of the body in a closed loop 126 , 226 with a non-planar profile.
- the body 120 of the first container 110 has an integral handle 130 defining an aperture 132 (often referred to as the handle ‘eye’) with a central axis AA extending in a first direction through the body 120 .
- the central axis AA is parallel to the direction of separation of the two parts of the mould—shown schematically in FIG. 8 —in which the first container 110 is formed.
- the body 120 projects a footprint 140 which in the present case is taken to be the outermost periphery visible in the plan view.
- the footprint 140 has a longitudinal axis BB extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction.
- the footprint 140 has a width which varies along its longitudinal axis BB, and is greater in a middle region 142 of the footprint 140 than at either longitudinal end 144 thereof.
- the maximum width (Wmax) is in the middle region 142 and the minimum width (Wmin) is at either longitudinal end 144 .
- the ratio of Wmax:Wmin is about 5:1.
- the footprint 140 has a substantially truncated-diamond shape, with the longitudinal ends 144 being present in place of one pair of corners along the longitudinal axis BB.
- the longitudinal ends 144 represent the opposed parallel sides of the container 110 , with central axis AA parallel thereto.
- the internal angles are non-right angles, i.e. at the middle region the opposing internal angles are greater than 90 degrees.
- the footprint 140 is generally six-sided and is distinct from four-sided or square footprints known in the art, as well as known quasi-octagonal footprints defined by a generally square bodies having curved or truncated corner regions which themselves define diametrically opposing sides/surfaces.
- the footprint 140 of the container 110 includes a peripheral step 150 , which is formed by a vertical groove or rib 152 in the body 150 .
- the rib 152 helps with aligning multiple containers 110 in a predetermined orientation relative to an external datum, such as a conveyor 160 , as shown in FIG. 9 . In this way the containers 110 may be arranged into a close packed array, for example when filling a standard trolley shelf 170 as shown in FIG. 10 .
- FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the body 220 of the second container 220 having an integral handle 230 defining an aperture 232 with a central axis A′A′ extending in a first direction through the body 220 .
- the body 220 has a footprint 240 which is visible in FIG. 12 .
- the footprint 240 has a longitudinal axis B′B′ extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction.
- the footprint 240 has a width which varies along its length, and is greatest (Wmax) in a middle region 242 , and smallest (Wmin) at either longitudinal end 244 .
- the ratio of Wmax:Wmin is about 3:1.
- the footprint 240 has a substantially truncated-diamond shape; the longitudinal ends 244 replacing two corners along the longitudinal axis B′B′ and adding an additional two sides to the otherwise four-sided shape.
- the footprint 240 includes a slight peripheral step 250 formed by a vertical rib 252 which in the case of container 210 is more for styling than alignment purposes. As shown in FIG. 13 , multiple containers 210 are arranged in a close packed array, with adjacent rows offset by half a container length to fit the width of a standard trolley shelf 270 .
- the containers described in respect of FIGS. 6 to 13 are preferably formed by blow moulding.
- the mould tool is configured such that the longitudinal axis of the handle and longitudinal axis of the body are in line with one another along a centre split line of the tool (such that the handle is arranged at one corner of the body).
- the mould tool is configured so that the mould split line is arranged corner to corner with respect to the body, with the middle region of the body extending in the direction of opening of the tool (perpendicular to the split line).
- the containers 110 , 210 include a centre neck open passageway, which is useful in reducing foaming effects during filling of the container with liquid, e.g. milk.
- the neck and passageway are arranged with the same concentricity considerations (with respect to the central vertical axis of the body) as the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3 , to reduce for adverse topload forces during testing.
- a known plastics container has a substantially rectangular footprint, with two corner regions on each side of a notional centre line aligned with the longitudinal axis, with all four corner regions equidistant therefrom.
- An example of such a known footprint is shown at 300 in FIG. 14 .
- Such a container may be of blow moulded construction, e.g. formed by blow moulding a parison 310 in a mould with two parts 320 , 330 which separate along a notional centre line 340 (e.g. along the central longitudinal axis of the footprint of the container in FIG. 14 ) when ejecting the container from the mould.
- FIG. 15 shows a modified mould tool 400 , wherein the split line 440 of the mould tool pieces 420 , 430 is arranged generally ‘corner to corner’ of a footprint of non-rectangular diamond shape of the kind described above (i.e. effectively at 45 degrees to that shown in FIG. 14 ).
- the corners 460 arranged at 90 degrees to the split line 400 are not excessively deep, it has been found that the stretching/thinning effect on the parison 410 is likely to be less extreme than with conventional mould tools of the kind shown in FIG. 14 , resulting in more even distribution of plastic within the wall thickness.
- the central longitudinal axis of the footprint in FIG. 15 is aligned with the split line 440 of the mould tool 400 .
- the handle eye of the container (not visible in FIG. 15 ) is also aligned with the split line 440 , as would be the case for the containers shown in FIGS. 8 and 12 .
- the footprint defined by the mould tool 400 is generally diamond-shaped, being six-sided with two generally opposing longitudinal end surfaces 470 separated by four angled side surfaces 480 .
- the footprint is non-rectangular and the internal angles of the footprint in the middle region are greater than the internal angles at the longitudinal ends of the footprint. Hence, the width of the footprint is greatest at the middle region and smallest at either longitudinal end.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)
- Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
- Blow-Moulding Or Thermoforming Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
- Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
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Abstract
A blow moulded container has a body portion defining a chamber for storing liquid and a neck portion extending from the body portion. The body portion defines a central longitudinal axis and said neck portion is coaxial therewith. The body portion defines an upper shoulder region of curved profile and the neck portion defines a circular cylindrical portion having side walls concentric with and parallel to said central longitudinal axis. The lower end of the cylindrical portion defines a closed loop and has a non-planar intersection with the shoulder region of the body portion.
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/222,351, filed Mar. 21, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/058,892, filed Oct. 21, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/935,384, filed Nov. 19, 2010, which is a U.S. National Phase application of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/GB2009/051359, filed Oct. 12, 2009, which claims the benefit of United Kingdom Patent Application No. 0818830.2, filed Oct. 14, 2008, the entire disclosure of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
- The present invention relates to a plastics container, particularly, but not exclusively, to a blow moulded plastics container of the kind commonly used for transporting or storing milk.
- It is known to package milk in lightweight plastics containers for retail through supermarkets and the like. There is a desire to make such plastics containers as light as possible, whilst ensuring that they remain fit for purpose in delivering the product in good condition for consumers.
- In an attempt to define “fit for purpose”, the packaging industry works to an empirical 60N topload force test. If a lightweight plastics container is able to withstand a 60N topload force applied at a rate of 4 mm per second over a set distance, experience shows that it will survive the milk filling and distribution system and retail successfully to the consumer.
- At present, for each container of the regular capacity sizes of milk container (e.g. 1 pint, 2 pint, 4 pint, 6 pint or 1 litre, 2 litre etc), there is a weight “ceiling” which means that it is difficult to manufacture a lighter container that is still fit for purpose (e.g. suitable to pass the empirical 60N topload force test).
- The present invention has been devised with a view to reducing the weight ceiling of standard capacity containers without compromising structural integrity i.e. containers remain fit for purpose.
- According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a plastics container for storing liquid (e.g. milk), comprising: a body portion defining a chamber for storing liquid; and a neck portion mounted on and extending from the body portion, the neck portion having an open passageway therethrough for passage of liquid to/from the chamber, wherein the neck and body portions intersect in a closed loop which has a non-planar profile.
- Historically, the intersection between the neck and body portions of a conventional lightweight blow moulded plastics container is a potential weak point and must be reinforced by locally increasing the thickness of plastics material in this region relative to that in the majority of the body portion. However, the present inventors believe that the weak point arises because the neck and body portions intersect in a closed loop which has a substantially planar profile. The present inventors have surprisingly found that by re-designing the intersection to provide a closed loop with a non-planar profile, the need for material reinforcement may be reduced or even obviated altogether. In this way, the plastics container may be made significantly lighter, perhaps even 10-15% lighter without compromising its structural integrity (e.g. as determined by the empirical 60N topload force test).
- In preferred embodiments, the container is of the kind configured to stand on a planar surface, e.g. on a trolley or refrigerator shelf The container is preferably configured such that the body portion, neck portion and open passageway have a common longitudinal axis, intended to be generally vertical in storage (e.g. with the rim of the open passageway presented generally horizontally). The closed loop is preferably concentric with said common longitudinal axis of the body portion, neck portion and open passageway. Such concentricity is desirable to avoid twisting forces that might otherwise occur during topload force testing.
- Having an open passageway which is concentric with the central longitudinal axis of the body portion of the container is also advantageous in reducing foaming effects during the filling of the container with liquid, e.g. milk. Such containers are often referred to as “centre neck” containers and are therefore distinct in construction from containers in which the open passageway of the neck portion is “off centre” or arranged at an angle of inclination away from vertical, e.g. in the case of conventional watering cans or jerry cans.
- The closed loop may have a circular or at least substantially circular footprint. Alternatively or additionally, the closed loop may curve in three mutually perpendicular directions. The neck portion may have a substantially cylindrical part with a longitudinal axis, in which case the closed loop preferably curves around the longitudinal axis at a constant radius and may also curve in a direction parallel to such axis. The closed loop may lie on a hyperbolic paraboloid surface (which is often referred to as the saddle surface or the standard saddle surface).
- Providing a closed loop having a circular footprint (i.e. of constant radius) is desirable for providing equalisation of forces transferred down into the body portion during topload force testing.
- In preferred embodiments, the body portion of the container defines shoulders (typically a curved upper part of the body portion) and the closed loop is located at the transition between the neck portion and the shoulders of the body portion. More particularly, the closed loop is preferably located at the transition between the substantially cylindrical part and the shoulders of the body portion. In that sense, the substantially cylindrical part may define an intermediate formation between the body portion and what is commonly referred to as the ‘neck platform’ of the container, i.e. the region at the base of the threaded neck in conventional milk containers.
- Preferably, the cylindrical part defines a circular footprint and more preferably the side walls of the cylindrical part are parallel with the longitudinal axis. This provides for further concentricity of structure, advantageous during topload force testing.
- The neck portion may have a screw thread for engaging a lid with a corresponding screw thread. The neck portion may have a stepped profile, and the width of the neck portion may be greatest where the neck portion intersects with the body portion. The stepped profile may compromise a frusto-conical surface, providing a gradual variation in the width of the neck portion along at least a part of its length.
- In preferred embodiments, the neck portion defines a threaded portion for receiving a lid in threaded engagement therewith and the body portion defines a upper shoulder region of curved profile; wherein the neck portion defines a circular cylindrical portion below said threaded portion, having side walls concentric with and parallel to said central longitudinal axis, and the intersection with the shoulder region of the body portion is non-planar. The threaded portion preferably meets the cylindrical portion in a closed loop of planar intersection. Preferably, the cylindrical portion is an intermediate formation between the threaded portion and the body portion.
- The container is preferably of blow moulded construction (e.g. formed by blow moulding).
- There is also provided a method of making a plastics container comprising the steps of providing a mould configured for producing a container according to the first aspect of the invention; and blow moulding plastics in the mould, i.e. to produce a container according to the first aspect of the invention.
- According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a plastics container for storing a liquid (e.g. milk), comprising a body with an integral handle defining an aperture with a central axis extending in a first direction through the body, the body having a footprint with a longitudinal axis extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the footprint has a width which varies along its longitudinal axis and is greater in a middle region of the footprint than at either longitudinal end thereof.
- A known plastics container has a substantially rectangular footprint, with two corner regions on each side of a notional centre line aligned with the longitudinal axis, with all four corner regions equidistant therefrom. An example is shown in
FIG. 14 . Such a container may be of blow moulded construction, e.g. formed by blow moulding a parison in a mould with two parts which separate along a notional centre line (e.g. along the central longitudinal axis of the container inFIG. 14 ) when ejecting the container from the mould. However, it is often the case that when a parison is blown into a square/rectangular cavity of the kind shown inFIG. 14 (in which the mould split occurs on opposing parallel faces of the container), aggressive stretching/thinning of the parison wall thickness occurs. - The present inventors have appreciated that each corner region represents a potential weak point in the body as a whole, and that the conventional way of overcoming this problem (i.e. by ensuring that the wall thickness at the corner regions does not fall below a minimum level) does not assist with trying to reduce the overall weight of the plastics container. Accordingly, the present inventors have proposed a container with a novel footprint in accordance with this second aspect of the invention, with less tendency for localised thinning of the wall thickness in critical areas during the blow moulding process. As a result, the overall weight of the plastics container may be reduced, whilst maintaining structural integrity and storage capacity.
- In particular, with the mould tool split line arranged ‘corner to corner’, as shown by way of example in
FIG. 15 (wherein the split line is arranged generally 45 degrees to that shown inFIG. 14 ) and providing that the corners arranged at 90 degrees to the split line are not excessively deep, it has been found that the stretching/thinning effect on the parison is likely to be less extreme than with conventional mould tools of the kind shown inFIG. 14 , resulting in more even distribution of plastic within the wall thickness. - The central longitudinal axis of the footprint is preferably aligned with the split line of the mould tool in which the container is to be blow moulded.
- In preferred embodiments, the footprint is non-rectangular (i.e. the footprint does not define internal right angles). The internal angles of the footprint in the middle region are preferably greater than the internal angles at the longitudinal ends of the footprint.
- The integral handle is preferably arranged at a corner of the container, and more preferably has a longitudinal axis which extends in line with the longitudinal axis of the body.
- The body may define a chamber for storing liquid, with the chamber extending into and/or through the integral handle. The footprint may be at least partially diamond-shaped (i.e. generally defining a rhombus), and the at least partially diamond-shaped footprint may be truncated at either longitudinal end thereof. Any corner region may be rounded, rather than sharp, without departing from the diamond-shaped footprint. The footprint may thus be substantially six-sided, with one pair of parallel sides at opposed longitudinal ends of the footprint. The parallel sides are preferably shorter than the other four sides (which are preferably of equal length). This six-sided configuration is distinct from a four-sided or square footprint known in the art, as well as known quasi-octagonal footprints defined by a generally square body having curved or truncated corner regions which themselves define diametrically opposing sides/surfaces. The novel six-sided footprint allows for close packing of multiple identical containers, with little or no wasted space therebetween.
- The width of the footprint may be greatest at the middle region, which may be at least 25%, possibly even at least 50%, greater in the middle region than at either longitudinal end of its maximum length. Further, the width of the footprint in the middle region may be less than 10 times, possibly less than about 5 times, the width at either end of the maximum length.
- The footprint may include a peripheral step, for example created by a groove in the body. The groove may extend in a direction perpendicular to the central and longitudinal axes and may be formed between the middle region and one longitudinal end of the footprint. The step may be adjacent a widest part of the footprint. Such a step may be useful for aligning a container in a predetermined orientation relative to an external datum, for example when multiple containers of the same kind and configuration are conveyed in series along a production line.
- It should be understood that containers of the first aspect may include one or more features of the containers of the second aspect and vice versa. For example, the container of the first aspect may include an integral handle and may define a diamond-shaped footprint, preferably with the handle arranged at a corner of the body portion, more preferably in line with the longitudinal axis of the body and along a tool split line running corner to corner. By way of further example, a container of the second aspect may include the non-planar neck intersection of the first aspect.
- Additionally or alternatively, a container of the second aspect preferably includes a centre neck open passageway, to reduce foaming effects during the filling of the container with liquid, e.g. milk.
- According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a container for storing and dispensing liquids (e.g. milk), preferably of blow moulded construction, comprising a body portion defining a chamber for storing liquid; and a neck portion mounted on and extending from the body portion, the neck portion having an open passageway therethrough for passage of liquid to/from the chamber; wherein the container is configured to stand on a planar surface for liquid storage purposes; wherein the body portion defines a central longitudinal axis and said neck portion and open passageway are coaxial therewith; wherein the neck portion defines a threaded portion for receiving a lid in threaded engagement therewith and the body portion defines an upper shoulder region of curved profile; wherein the neck portion defines a circular cylindrical portion below said threaded portion and having side walls concentric with and parallel to said central longitudinal axis, wherein the lower end of the cylindrical portion defines a non-planar intersection with the shoulder region of the body portion.
- The threaded portion preferably meets the cylindrical portion in a closed loop of planar intersection. Preferably, the cylindrical portion is an intermediate formation between the threaded portion and the body portion. The container preferably includes an integral handle and may define a diamond-shaped footprint, preferably with the handle arranged at a corner of the body portion, more preferably with the handle eye extending along a tool split line running corner to corner.
- The container may include one or more features from the first and second aspects of the invention set forth above.
- Other aspects and features of the invention will be apparent from the claims and the following description of preferred embodiments, made by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of part of a plastics container embodying one aspect of the invention; -
FIG. 2 shows a side view of the plastics container ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 shows a front view of the plastics container ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 illustrates a standard saddle surface; -
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross section through a three-piece mould tool for blow moulding the container ofFIGS. 1 to 3 ; -
FIGS. 6-8 illustrate a first plastics container embodying a second aspect of the invention; -
FIG. 9 illustrates the first plastics container ofFIGS. 6-8 being conveyed in series; -
FIG. 10 illustrates the first plastics container ofFIGS. 6-8 stored with other such containers on a trolley; -
FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a second plastics container embodying the second aspect of the invention; -
FIG. 13 illustrates the second plastics container ofFIGS. 11 and 12 stored with other such containers on a trolley; -
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section through a mould tool for blow moulding a plastics container of substantially rectangular footprint; and -
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a preferred mould tool for producing a blow moulded container of non-rectangular footprint. -
FIG. 1 shows a lightweight blow mouldedplastics container 10 embodying one aspect of the invention. Thecontainer 10 comprises abody portion 12 and aneck portion 14. Thebody portion 12 defines achamber 16 for storing liquid (e.g. milk). Theneck portion 14 is mounted on and extends from thebody portion 12 and has anopen passageway 18 therethrough which communicates with thechamber 16 and through which thecontainer 10 is filled with, and emptied of, liquid. As is normal in the art, thepassageway 18 may by covered with a hermetic seal. - The
neck portion 14 intersects thebody portion 12 in aclosed loop 20 with a non-planar profile. Theclosed loop 20 is located at the transition between the substantiallycylindrical wall 22 at the base of theneck portion 14 and the upper part orshoulders 24 of thebody portion 12. - The non-planar profile of the closed
loop 20 is best illustrated with reference toFIG. 4 which shows astandard saddle surface 30. Theclosed loop 20 lies on such a surface at a fixed distance from the central axis XX. Theclosed loop 20 has a pair ofmaxima 32 and a pair ofminima 34, and these are seen inFIGS. 2 and 3 disposed equidistantly around the circumference of thecylindrical wall 22. - In the illustrated embodiment, the
closed loop 20 has a substantially circular footprint, being bound bycylindrical wall 22. - The
neck portion 14 may have a substantially cylindricalupper part 40 with ascrew thread 42 for engaging a lid (not shown) with a corresponding screw thread. The cylindricalupper part 40 andcylindrical wall 22 at the base of theneck portion 14 are separated by a frusto-conical section 44, arranged such that the neck portion is wider at its base than at its free end. The cylindricalupper part 40,cylindrical wall 22 and frusto-conical section 44 are all centred on a common longitudinal axis. The height of the cylindrical wall 22 (in a direction parallel to the common longitudinal axis) varies in a circumferential direction around the periphery of theneck portion 14, dependent upon curvature of the closedloop 20 in a direction parallel to the common longitudinal axis. The lower end of thecylindrical wall 22 defines the non-planar intersection with the shoulder region of thebody portion 12. - It should be noted that the
container 10 is of the kind configured to stand on a planar surface, e.g. on a trolley or refrigerator shelf More particularly, thebody portion 12,neck portion 14 andopen passageway 18 have a common (central) longitudinal axis, intended to be generally vertical during storage of the container (i.e. with the rim of theopen passageway 18 presented generally horizontally). Theclosed loop 20 is coaxial with said common longitudinal axis of thebody portion 12,neck portion 14 andopen passageway 18. The concentricity of thebody portion 12,neck portion 14,open passageway 18 and closedloop 20 is desirable to avoid twisting forces that might otherwise occur during topload force testing. - The container may also be referred to as a “centre neck” container, by virtue of the open passageway being concentric with the central longitudinal axis of the body portion of the container. Such a configuration is particularly advantageous in reducing foaming effects during the filling of the container with liquid, e.g. milk.
- The
container 10 is manufactured by blow moulding using an appropriately shaped mould tool. An example of a suitable tool is shown inFIG. 5 , wherein thetool 50 includes aneck block 52,body block 54 andbase block 56. Thebody block 54 andbase block 56 define acontinuous cavity 58 in which thebody portion 12 of thecontainer 10 is formed. Theneck block 52 defines acavity 60 in which the threadedneck portion 14 of thecontainer 10 is formed. - As is common in the art, the
neck block 52 is provided with aneck insert 62 configured to define the desired shape and thread formation of theneck portion 14. Neck inserts of different internal configuration are interchangeable within theneck block 52. Similarly, theneck block 52 may be interchangeable with different body blocks 54. - It will be understood that the
body portion 12 andneck portion 14 are distinct parts of thecontainer 10, which are conventionally defined by distinct pieces of themould tool 50, i.e. thebody block 54 andneck block 52, respectively, separated by asplit line 64 of the tool 50 (at the transition between theneck block 52 and the body block 54). However, in preferred embodiments of the invention, theclosed loop 20 is below the split line. More particularly, thecylindrical part 22 of theneck portion 14 is formed below thesplit line 64, within thebody block 54. Hence, theclosed loop 20 is located adjacent, yet below, what is commonly referred to as the ‘neck platform’ of the container (known conventionally as the part of the neck portion which meets the shoulders of the body portion). However, in this case, the cylindrical part is effectively an intermediate formation between the neck platform and the shoulders of the body portion. In each case, it will be preferred if the closed loop and associated intermediate formation is formed in thebody block 54, so that different threaded portions can be blow moulded therewith using different neck blocks 52. - The result is a strengthened container, which overcomes the conventional requirement for increased wall thickness between the neck and body portions in order to overcome structural weakness.
-
FIGS. 6-8 illustrate respectively perspective, plan and front views of afirst plastics container 110 embodying a second aspect of the invention, andFIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate respectively plan and front views of asecond plastics container 210 embodying the second aspect of the invention. The first andsecond plastics containers first container 110 having a 1 pint capacity and thesecond container 210 having a 6 pint capacity. Otherwise, the first andsecond containers body neck portion closed loop - The
body 120 of thefirst container 110 has anintegral handle 130 defining an aperture 132 (often referred to as the handle ‘eye’) with a central axis AA extending in a first direction through thebody 120. The central axis AA is parallel to the direction of separation of the two parts of the mould—shown schematically in FIG. 8—in which thefirst container 110 is formed. - The
body 120 projects afootprint 140 which in the present case is taken to be the outermost periphery visible in the plan view. Thefootprint 140 has a longitudinal axis BB extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. Thefootprint 140 has a width which varies along its longitudinal axis BB, and is greater in amiddle region 142 of thefootprint 140 than at eitherlongitudinal end 144 thereof. In fact, the maximum width (Wmax) is in themiddle region 142 and the minimum width (Wmin) is at eitherlongitudinal end 144. The ratio of Wmax:Wmin is about 5:1. Thefootprint 140 has a substantially truncated-diamond shape, with the longitudinal ends 144 being present in place of one pair of corners along the longitudinal axis BB. The longitudinal ends 144 represent the opposed parallel sides of thecontainer 110, with central axis AA parallel thereto. The internal angles are non-right angles, i.e. at the middle region the opposing internal angles are greater than 90 degrees. Thefootprint 140 is generally six-sided and is distinct from four-sided or square footprints known in the art, as well as known quasi-octagonal footprints defined by a generally square bodies having curved or truncated corner regions which themselves define diametrically opposing sides/surfaces. - The
footprint 140 of thecontainer 110 includes aperipheral step 150, which is formed by a vertical groove orrib 152 in thebody 150. Therib 152 helps with aligningmultiple containers 110 in a predetermined orientation relative to an external datum, such as aconveyor 160, as shown inFIG. 9 . In this way thecontainers 110 may be arranged into a close packed array, for example when filling astandard trolley shelf 170 as shown inFIG. 10 . -
FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate thebody 220 of thesecond container 220 having anintegral handle 230 defining anaperture 232 with a central axis A′A′ extending in a first direction through thebody 220. Thebody 220 has afootprint 240 which is visible inFIG. 12 . Thefootprint 240 has a longitudinal axis B′B′ extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. Thefootprint 240 has a width which varies along its length, and is greatest (Wmax) in amiddle region 242, and smallest (Wmin) at eitherlongitudinal end 244. The ratio of Wmax:Wmin is about 3:1. Thefootprint 240 has a substantially truncated-diamond shape; the longitudinal ends 244 replacing two corners along the longitudinal axis B′B′ and adding an additional two sides to the otherwise four-sided shape. Thefootprint 240 includes a slightperipheral step 250 formed by avertical rib 252 which in the case ofcontainer 210 is more for styling than alignment purposes. As shown inFIG. 13 ,multiple containers 210 are arranged in a close packed array, with adjacent rows offset by half a container length to fit the width of astandard trolley shelf 270. - The containers described in respect of
FIGS. 6 to 13 are preferably formed by blow moulding. Preferably, the mould tool is configured such that the longitudinal axis of the handle and longitudinal axis of the body are in line with one another along a centre split line of the tool (such that the handle is arranged at one corner of the body). Put another way, the mould tool is configured so that the mould split line is arranged corner to corner with respect to the body, with the middle region of the body extending in the direction of opening of the tool (perpendicular to the split line). - As with the embodiment of the
FIGS. 1 to 3 , thecontainers FIGS. 1 to 3 , to reduce for adverse topload forces during testing. - A known plastics container has a substantially rectangular footprint, with two corner regions on each side of a notional centre line aligned with the longitudinal axis, with all four corner regions equidistant therefrom. An example of such a known footprint is shown at 300 in
FIG. 14 . Such a container may be of blow moulded construction, e.g. formed by blow moulding aparison 310 in a mould with twoparts FIG. 14 ) when ejecting the container from the mould. -
FIG. 15 shows a modifiedmould tool 400, wherein thesplit line 440 of themould tool pieces FIG. 14 ). Providing that thecorners 460 arranged at 90 degrees to thesplit line 400 are not excessively deep, it has been found that the stretching/thinning effect on theparison 410 is likely to be less extreme than with conventional mould tools of the kind shown inFIG. 14 , resulting in more even distribution of plastic within the wall thickness. - As can be seen, the central longitudinal axis of the footprint in
FIG. 15 is aligned with thesplit line 440 of themould tool 400. Preferably, the handle eye of the container (not visible inFIG. 15 ) is also aligned with thesplit line 440, as would be the case for the containers shown inFIGS. 8 and 12 . - The footprint defined by the
mould tool 400 is generally diamond-shaped, being six-sided with two generally opposing longitudinal end surfaces 470 separated by four angled side surfaces 480. The footprint is non-rectangular and the internal angles of the footprint in the middle region are greater than the internal angles at the longitudinal ends of the footprint. Hence, the width of the footprint is greatest at the middle region and smallest at either longitudinal end. - While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims (26)
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21. A blow-molded container comprising:
a bottom member;
a plurality of sidewalls including a first pair of opposing parallel sidewalls that are spaced apart by a first dimension, a second pair of opposing parallel sidewalls that are spaced apart by the first dimension, and a third pair of sidewalls that are spaced apart by a second dimension that is different than the first dimension;
a spout for receiving a closure cap;
a handle section proximate to the spout; and
an upwardly converging neck member coupling the sidewalls to the spout having a convex transition section defining a continuous curvature that extends from the sidewalls to the spout.
22. The blow-molded container of claim 21 , wherein the convex transition section provides a smooth transition between the sidewalls and the spout.
23. A blow-molded container comprising:
a bottom member;
a plurality of sidewalls;
a spout for receiving a closure cap;
a handle section proximate to the spout; and
an upwardly converging neck member coupling the sidewalls to the spout having a convex transition section defining a continuous curvature that extends from the sidewalls to the spout.
24. The blow-molded container of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of sidewalls includes at least three pairs of opposing parallel sidewalls.
25. The blow-molded container of claim 23 , wherein the convex transition section provides a smooth transition between the sidewalls and the spout.
26. A blow-molded container comprising:
a bottom member;
a plurality of long sidewalls, each long sidewall of the plurality of long sidewalls being substantially planar, the plurality of long sidewalls including a first pair of opposing parallel sidewalls that is spaced apart by a first dimension, and a second pair of opposing parallel sidewalls that is spaced apart by the first dimension;
a plurality of short sidewalls, each short sidewall from the plurality of short sidewalls being disposed between an adjacent pair of long sidewalls from the plurality of long sidewalls, the plurality of short sidewalls including a third pair of sidewalls that is spaced apart by a second dimension that is different than the first dimension;
a spout for receiving a closure cap;
a handle section proximate to the spout;
a sidewall upper limit defined by one or more long sidewalls from the plurality of long sidewalls and one or more short sidewalls from the plurality of short sidewalls; and
a curved transition that is formed between the sidewall upper limit and the spout, wherein the curved transition defines a curvature that extends continuously from the sidewall upper limit to the spout to provide a smooth transition between the sidewall upper limit and the spout.
Priority Applications (2)
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US14/498,852 US20150014274A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2014-09-26 | Plastics container |
US14/825,029 US20150344218A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2015-08-12 | Plastics container |
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GB0818830.2 | 2008-10-14 | ||
GBGB0818830.2A GB0818830D0 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2008-10-14 | Plastics container |
PCT/GB2009/051359 WO2010043890A2 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2009-10-12 | Plastics container |
US93538410A | 2010-11-19 | 2010-11-19 | |
US14/058,892 US20140042118A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2013-10-21 | Plastics container |
US14/222,351 US20140202976A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2014-03-21 | Plastics container |
US14/498,852 US20150014274A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2014-09-26 | Plastics container |
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US14/825,029 Continuation US20150344218A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2015-08-12 | Plastics container |
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US14/054,363 Abandoned US20140042117A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2013-10-15 | Plastics container |
US14/058,892 Abandoned US20140042118A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2013-10-21 | Plastics container |
US14/222,393 Abandoned US20140202977A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2014-03-21 | Plastics container |
US14/222,351 Abandoned US20140202976A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2014-03-21 | Plastics container |
US14/498,852 Abandoned US20150014274A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2014-09-26 | Plastics container |
US14/825,029 Abandoned US20150344218A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2015-08-12 | Plastics container |
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US14/054,363 Abandoned US20140042117A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2013-10-15 | Plastics container |
US14/058,892 Abandoned US20140042118A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2013-10-21 | Plastics container |
US14/222,393 Abandoned US20140202977A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2014-03-21 | Plastics container |
US14/222,351 Abandoned US20140202976A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2014-03-21 | Plastics container |
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US14/825,029 Abandoned US20150344218A1 (en) | 2008-10-14 | 2015-08-12 | Plastics container |
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US (7) | US20110056903A1 (en) |
EP (5) | EP2738109A3 (en) |
JP (2) | JP2012510408A (en) |
CN (2) | CN103991610A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2009305200C1 (en) |
BR (2) | BRPI0909125A2 (en) |
CA (2) | CA2788487A1 (en) |
GB (3) | GB0818830D0 (en) |
MX (1) | MX2010010606A (en) |
NZ (2) | NZ591347A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010043890A2 (en) |
ZA (1) | ZA200908128B (en) |
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- 2009-10-12 EP EP12176562.2A patent/EP2540633B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2009-10-12 GB GB0917729A patent/GB2464386B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2009-10-12 AU AU2009305200A patent/AU2009305200C1/en active Active
- 2009-10-12 GB GB1010668A patent/GB2469224B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2009-10-12 WO PCT/GB2009/051359 patent/WO2010043890A2/en active Application Filing
- 2009-10-12 US US12/935,384 patent/US20110056903A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2009-10-12 CN CN2009801130866A patent/CN102007040A/en active Pending
- 2009-10-12 NZ NZ591347A patent/NZ591347A/en unknown
- 2009-10-12 MX MX2010010606A patent/MX2010010606A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2009-10-12 JP JP2011530577A patent/JP2012510408A/en active Pending
- 2009-10-12 EP EP14151078.4A patent/EP2724951A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2009-10-12 BR BR122014006618-0A patent/BR122014006618A2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2009-10-12 CA CA2725228A patent/CA2725228C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2009-10-12 EP EP14151081.8A patent/EP2738108B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2009-11-18 ZA ZA2009/08128A patent/ZA200908128B/en unknown
-
2012
- 2012-08-27 NZ NZ602059A patent/NZ602059A/en unknown
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2013
- 2013-10-15 US US14/054,363 patent/US20140042117A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2013-10-21 US US14/058,892 patent/US20140042118A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2013-11-27 JP JP2013244492A patent/JP2014065541A/en not_active Ceased
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2014
- 2014-03-21 US US14/222,393 patent/US20140202977A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-03-21 US US14/222,351 patent/US20140202976A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-09-26 US US14/498,852 patent/US20150014274A1/en not_active Abandoned
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2015
- 2015-08-12 US US14/825,029 patent/US20150344218A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US20180225108A1 (en) * | 2014-10-28 | 2018-08-09 | International Business Machines Corporation | Applying update to snapshots of virtual machine |
USD942866S1 (en) | 2015-04-02 | 2022-02-08 | Uniloy, Inc. | Container |
USD895425S1 (en) | 2017-12-21 | 2020-09-08 | Milacron Llc | Container |
US10384824B2 (en) * | 2017-12-21 | 2019-08-20 | Milacron Llc | Container and method of manufacturing the same |
USD880301S1 (en) | 2017-12-21 | 2020-04-07 | Milacron Llc | Container |
US10737823B2 (en) | 2017-12-21 | 2020-08-11 | Milacron Llc | Container and method of manufacturing the same |
US11027884B2 (en) | 2019-01-18 | 2021-06-08 | Altium Packaging Lp | Container and method of manufacturing the same |
USD920799S1 (en) | 2019-01-18 | 2021-06-01 | Altium Packaging Lp | Container |
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USD892625S1 (en) | 2019-02-28 | 2020-08-11 | Milacron Llc | Container |
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US11858680B2 (en) | 2020-01-14 | 2024-01-02 | Altium Packaging Lp | Container and method of manufacturing the same |
USD968229S1 (en) | 2021-01-08 | 2022-11-01 | Altium Packaging Lp | Container |
USD990321S1 (en) | 2021-01-08 | 2023-06-27 | Altium Packaging Lp | Container |
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US11952163B2 (en) | 2021-06-07 | 2024-04-09 | Altium Packaging Lp | Container with reinforced neck |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: NAMPAK PLASTICS EUROPE LIMITED, GREAT BRITAIN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GLOVER, ANDREW;REEL/FRAME:034714/0961 Effective date: 20110303 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |