The present invention relates to a set with a first and a second stackable bottle, wherein each bottle is manufactured from a material such that the bottle can be manufactured from a preform by means of blow moulding. The invention is mainly intended here for application on large bottles, this being bottles with a volume of between 3 litres and 30 litres, preferably between 5 litres and 25 litres, more preferably between 10 and 20 litres.

EP 2292519 describes a set with a first and a second stackable bottle of PET. A handle can here be fixed via an annular fixing element to the neck of the bottle by means of a click system. The handle is rotatable all around the bottle neck such that it can be easily gripped from multiple directions in order to lift the bottle. The bottle can be easily carried via the handle. The bottom of each bottle is provided with a peripheral base part and a central base part, wherein the central base part has a recess. The recess has dimensions which are selected so that, when one bottle is stacked on top of another bottle, the recess surrounds a bottle cap, a bottle neck and a handle of a bottle underneath when the peripheral base part rests on the shoulder of the bottle underneath. In this way a set of stackable bottles is obtained which are on the one hand readily stackable and can on the other hand be easily carried owing to the handle.

A drawback of these bottles is that blow moulding a bottle with such a recess is difficult. EP 2536640 describes an alternative set of stackable bottles. Each bottle is provided here with a top piece which is fixable via an annular fixing element which can be snapped over the neck of the bottle. The top piece extends to the peripheral edge of the bottle and ensures that when the bottle is placed on another bottle, the top piece of the bottle forms a support surface for the underside of the bottle which is placed thereon. The bottles hereby need not be provided with a recess as in the above stated prior art, making the bottles considerably cheaper to form. A handle is provided in the top piece so that the bottle can be easily carried.

A drawback of the bottles from this set is that the top piece is expensive to manufacture and that the top piece restricts handling of the bottle because die top piece is situated all around the handle.

It is an object of the invention to provide a stackable bottle which is easy to handle, can be manufactured in simple manner and is stackable in steady manner.

The invention provides for this purpose a set comprising at least a first and a second stackable bottle, wherein each bottle is formed by blow moulding from a preform, wherein each bottle comprises a base part having a central base pari and a peripheral base part, wherein said central base part has a recess which is dimensioned such that the recess of the first bottle envelopes a bottle cap and a bottle neck of the second bottle in a stacked position, wherein each bottle comprises a top piece which is arranged around a bottle neck, wherein said top piece comprises an annular element with fixing means on an inner side of the annular element, such that the top piece is configured to be pushed, from a bottle opening, with the annular element over the bottle neck in order to fix the top piece on the bottle, and is configured to resist an opposite displacement, wherein the top piece comprises at least two handles extending in different directions and wherein each handle has a gripper part which is attached via at least one arm to the annular element, and wherein provided on either side of each gripper part is a support element which is dimensioned such that in the stacked position the support element bridges a distance between a shoulder of the second bottle and a peripheral base part of the first bottle.

The stackable bottle of the invention comprises a top piece which can be fixed to the bottle neck by means of fixing means. The top piece has at least two handles extending in different directions. The bottle can hereby be easily handled from multiple directions. A support element is further provided on either side of each gripper part of the handles. This support element bridges a distance between the peripheral base part and the shoulder when the bottles are stacked. Because a distance is bridged by the support element, the recess can take a considerably less deep form. This makes it considerably cheaper to manufacture the bottle according to the invention. The bottles according to the invention can herein be stacked in steady manner. With this, the invention provides a solution with which bottles are stackable, can be easily handled from multiple directions and wherein the bottle can be manufactured cheaply.

A further advantage of the bottles according to the invention is that they can be carried by a plurality of people at the same time, for instance one person on one side and another person on another side of the bottle, since the bottle has a plurality of handles extending in different directions. Large bottles, for instance bottles with a volume of 20 litres or more, can hereby be carried in steady and ergonomically safe manner.

Tests and simulations have shown that the indentation in the bottle has a more limited depth because the top piece bridges the distance between shoulder and peripheral base part. This more limited depth enables the bottle to be manufactured more cheaply. It has further been found that the top piece can be produced economically and can be connected to the bottle in simple manner. This is found to improve the balance between the cost price of producing the bottle and the cost price of producing the top piece, such that the total cost per bottle is lower without detracting from the stackability and ease of handling. It has further been found that the bottles can be blown more reliably and easily. It is particularly because the recess is smaller than when bottles are stackable without top piece that correct and uniform distribution of the material during the blowing process is easier, whereby fewer errors occur and whereby the process of blowing can be controlled more effectively.

The bottle according to the invention is preferably manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate, from a preform. A bottle formed from a preform via blow moulding may deviate only slightly from a line-symmetrical form around a longitudinal axis, as differences in material thickness would otherwise occur in the wall of the bottle during blow moulding. These differences are undesirable as they reduce the efficiency of material use and also create weaknesses in the bottle. Because the bottle according to the invention has a less complex form, it will be easy to produce such a bottle via blow moulding. Polyethylene terephthalate is further readily recyclable.

Said top piece is preferably manufactured from one piece of plastic by means of injection moulding. By manufacturing top piece and handle integrally no assembly step is required to attach the top piece and the handle to each other. Such injection-moulded pieces can further have widely varying shapes and material properties. Further advantages are the low cost price and simplicity of mass production.

The gripper part of the two handles is preferably rigid. Rigid is defined here as deformable to negligible extent during normal use. By giving the gripper part of the handles a rigid form, this gripper part will function as a bridge between the two support elements provided on either side of the handle. Each support element will hereby not only provide support per se, but provide support as a larger hole between stacked bottles. The relative position of one support element relative to another support element is here at least partially predetermined by the rigid handle, so that the bottles can be stacked in steady manner.

The at least one arm of each of the two handles are preferably flexible. The at least one arm extends between each handle and the annular fixing element of the top piece. Because the arm is flexible, i.e. is elastically deformable during normal use, the rigid gripper part of the handle can move between a stacked position, wherein the handle is situated substantially against the shoulder of the bottle, so that the support elements rest on the shoulder part, and a gripping position wherein the gripper part of the handle floats above the shoulder of the bottle and at a distance therefrom, so that the gripper part can be easily gripped.

The at least one arm preferably comprises two arms which are attached to the gripper part on opposite sides thereof and which are attached to the annular element on opposite sides thereof. Because the gripper part is attached on opposite sides to opposite sides of the annular element via two arms, the movability of the gripper part will be limited, making it easier to be handled correctly. Undesired movements will be prevented to maximum extent by this way of attaching the gripper part. Tests have further shown that, owing to this attachment of the gripper part via two arms, the gripper part is always optimally positioned in the stacked situation of the bottle and the gripper part is always optimally positioned when the bottle is lifted via the gripper part. The transmission of forces, particularly during lifting of the bottle, is also more optimal, so that the annular fixing element can take a lighter form.

The at least two handles are preferably formed by handles lying opposite each other.

Opposite is here understood to mean that the handles extend in opposing directions, these preferably lying at right angles to the direction of the central axis of the bottle. In a situation wherein the bottle is carried by two people it will be advantageous for the handles to lie opposite each other. It has also been found that, in stacking, it is advantageous that the handles lie opposite each other, and the support elements are thereby placed in symmetrical and balanced manner. This allows stacking of the bottles in steady and stable manner in various relative rotation positions of the bottles. In this context the top piece preferably has a plane-symmetrical form relative to a plane extending upward and centrally between the at least two handles.

Each bottle is preferably compatible in shape with the top piece at the position of its shoulder so that rotation of the top piece relative to the shoulder is prevented in the stacked position. Each bottle is more preferably also compatible in shape with the top piece at the position of its peripheral base part so that rotation of the top piece relative to the peripheral base part is prevented in the stacked position. The skilled person will appreciate that compatibility of shape can be realized in different ways, for instance by providing grooves, indentations, concave and/or convex surfaces, recesses and so on which correspond to the shape of the top piece. The compatibility of shape ensures that the position of the top piece relative to the bottle, more particularly the shoulder and/or the peripheral base part of the bottle, is predetermined. This has the advantage that the bottles can be stacked in more stable manner because the bottles do not tend to rotate relative to each other, or do so to lesser extent. Shifting of one bottle relative to another bottle in the stacked position is also prevented by making the bottle compatible in shape with the top piece.

Each bottle is preferably substantially rectangular and the support elements are preferably positioned to be situated at the position of the corners of the bottle in the stacked position. Each bottle is more preferably provided at the position of its corners with upright strengthening ribs. The upright strengthening ribs increase the stability of the bottle when pressure is exerted on the bottle. When a plurality of bottles are stacked, a lower-lying bottle will bear the weight of the upper-lying bottle. The strengthening ribs improve the stability of the bottle in such a situation. When the support elements then also lie at the position of the corners in the stacked position, the downward pressure resulting from the weight of the bottle can be transmitted via the support elements to the upright ribs, so that a whole stacked in steady manner is obtained.

Said top piece is preferably snap-fit-connected to said bottle neck. Assembly of two elements by snapping them together can be easily automated. A bottle and top piece which can be assembled in a simple manner by an assembly machine are thus obtained hereby. Furthermore, in contrast to for instance screwing, snapping does not require the bottle and top piece to be rotatable relative to each other. Non-round bottles can thus also easily be provided with a top piece. A bottle largely rectangular in cross-section can for example easily be provided with a correspondingly rectangular top piece by snapping. Said top piece comprises an annular element with fixing means on an inner side of the annular element, such that the top piece is configured to be pushed, from a bottle opening, with the annular element over the bottle neck in order to fix the top piece to the bottle, and is configured to offer resistance to displacement in the opposite direction. Such a fixing of the top piece to the bottle is very simple, and hence cheap. Pushing an annular form with fixing means over a bottle neck is further easy to automate, which is an advantage in the production process of such bottles with top piece.

A bottle according to the invention preferably has a volume greater than 5 litres, preferably greater than 10 litres, more preferably greater than IS litres, and a volume smaller than 35 litres, preferably smaller than 30 litres, more preferably smaller than 25 litres. Bottles with such a volume have external dimensions which make handling without handle difficult.

The invention further relates to a bottle as described above.

The invention will now be further described on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.

In the drawing:

figure 1 shows a set of stacked bottles according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

figure 2 shows a top view of a stackable bottle of figure 1 ; and

figure 3 shows a top piece which forms part of the stackable bottle of figure 2.

In the drawing the same or similar elements are given the same reference numeral.

Figure 1 shows a bottle 1 which is manufactured line-symmetrically about a longitudinal axis 2. Bottle I , viewed from top to bottom along longitudinal axis 2, comprises an optional bottle cap 3, a bottle neck 4, a shoulder part 5, a body part 6 and a base part 7. Bottle 1 is preferably manufactured from a preform by means of a blow moulding process. A preform is a test tube- shaped element manufactured from a material which can be deformed by means of blow moulding. The material is preferably polyethylene terephthalate (PET). An alternative material which allows bottle 1 to be manufactured by means of blow moulding is polylactic acid (PLA). Bottle 1 according to the invention further comprises a top piece 8 which is fixed to bottle neck 4.

Bottle cap 3 is preferably attached to bottle neck 4 by means of a screw connection, wherein bottle cap 3 and bottle neck 4 comprise corresponding screw threads. Other systems such as snap systems can however also be used to attach bottle cap 3 to the bottle neck. Bottle neck 4 further preferably comprises a collar 9 which makes it possible to grip bottle 1 in a simple manner, particularly during blow moulding of bottle 1.

Shoulder part 5 of bottle I connects bottle neck 4 to body part 6 of bottle 1. For this purpose shoulder part 5 extends substantially radially and downward and so transitions from bottle neck 4, which has a first diameter, to body part 6 of bottle 1, which has a larger diameter than said first diameter. This results in a slightly curved upper surface which extends substantially perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis 2 of the bottle at said shoulder part S.

Base part 7 of bottle 1 closes body part 6 on the underside so that bottle 1 is suitable for containing a liquid. The underside of the bottle is preferably formed with a recess 10. Recess 10 is formed in base part 7 of bottle 1. Recess 10 is here formed centrally in the base part. Recess 10 is most preferably positioned symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis 2. Base part 7 further comprises a peripheral base part 11 all around recess 10. The peripheral base part and recess 10 are formed such that when two bottles are placed on each other, as shown in figure 1, the recess of the upper-lying bottle, in figure 1 bottle 1 A, surrounds bottle cap 3 and bottle neck 4 of the lower-lying bottle, in figure 1 bottle IB, while peripheral base part 11 of upper-lying bottle 1 A rests on shoulder part 5 of the lower-lying bottle. It is noted here that the peripheral base part 11 of upper- lying bottle 1A does not support directly on shoulder part 5 of lower-lying bottle IB, but does so via top piece 8, as will be further elucidated below.

During manufacture top piece 8 is arranged over bottle neck 4 until it is situated under collar 9. Top piece 8 is hereby fixedly attached to the bottle, and forms part of bottle 1. Top piece 8 is configured to rest on shoulder part 5 of the bottle. Top piece 8 here extends at least partially to a peripheral part of shoulder 5. This has the result that when two bottles are stacked on each other, as shown in figure 1, peripheral base part 11 of an upper-lying bottle will support on top piece 8 of a lower-lying bottle IB. A distance 12 between the shoulder part of the lower-lying bottle IB and the peripheral base part 11 of the upper-lying bottle 1 A is hereby bridged. The result of top piece 8 bridging this distance 12 is that recess 10 can take a less deep form than in a situation wherein shoulder part 5 directly supports peripheral base part 11. As has been described at length above, blowing the bottle from a perform becomes easier and more easily controllable.

Figure 2 shows a top view of a bottle 1. Figure 2 shows how the bottle comprises a top piece 8. Top piece 8 is connected to the neck of the bottle via an annular element 13. Annular element 13 preferably comprises fixing means 14. In the embodiment of figures 2 and 3 fixing means 14 are formed as a plurality of inward directed tongues which hook behind collar 9 of the bottle when annular element 13 is pushed over collar 9. These tongues are directed inward and toward the cap of the bottle so that they allow a movement over the collar in the direction of the shoulder of the bottle and so that they prevent a movement over the collar in the direction of the cap of the bottle. The annular element can hereby be connected to the bottle neck in simple manner during manufacture of the bottle. The tongues preferably function as barb means which allow the handle to be pushed over bottle neck 4 toward shoulder part 5 while preventing handle from being able to be pushed over bottle neck 4 in a direction away from shoulder part 5. The annular fixing means with barb means, and the collar situated on bottle neck 4, are preferably complementary in the sense that the barb means can be pushed over the collar in the direction of shoulder part 5 and prevent an opposite displacement back over collar 8. The barb means can for this purpose comprise a plurality of hinged tongues which, as shown in figure 3, form with longitudinal axis 2 an acute angle toward base part 7 of bottle 1, as seen in mounted position of the top piece.

Top piece 8 further comprises two handles 15 and 16. Each of the handles 15, 16 is here constructed with a gripper part 17, 18 which is attached via arms 19 to annular element 13. More specifically, the first handle IS will have a first gripper part 17. Gripper part 17 extends between two arms 19. Each of the arms 19 runs to an opposite side of annular element 13 and is connected thereto. Second handle 16 comprises a second gripper part 18 which, similarly to first gripper part 17, extends between two arms 19 which are further attached to opposite sides of annular element 13. With this, each of the arms 19 extends between annular element 13 on one side and gripper part 16, 17 on the other. Gripper parts 17 and 18 and arms 19 are preferably dimensioned and connected to annular element 13 such that gripper part 17 extend at least partially in a peripheral part of bottle 1. The peripheral part of the bottle is defined here as the part of the bottle, as seen in the transverse direction, where base part 7 comprises no recess 10.

Gripper part 17, 18 is made rigid while arms 19 are made flexible. It will be apparent to the skilled person that top piece 8 can be formed from one material and in one piece, while arms 19 are flexible and gripper part 17, 18 are rigid. Design, material thickness and optionally providing strengthening ribs and/or strengthening structures enable a rigid element and a flexible element to be formed with the same material. Rigid is defined here as deformable to negligible extent during normal use. Rigid is more preferably defined as allowing deformation of less than 10% during normal use, preferably allowing deformation of a maximum of 5% during normal use.

Arms 19 are flexible, i.e. an elastic and/or plastic deformation occurs in arms 19 during normal use. Particularly when a bottle 1 is lifted via one of the handles IS, 16 will arms 19 of the respective handle bend. Due to the bending of arms 19 the gripper part 17 or 18 will move upward, away from shoulder S of the bottle, making gripper part 17 or 18 easier to handle. The flexibility of arms 19 enables two positions of use or situations of use to be distinguished for each handle 15, 16. A first situation of use relates to the stacked situation of handle 15, 16. In the stacked situation gripper part 17, 18 lies substantially against the shoulder part of the bottle. A second situation of use relates to the lifting position during lifting of the bottle via handle 15, 16. In the lifting position the upward force which engages on gripper part 17 and/or 18 for carrying bottle 1 will result in arms 19 moving upward. Gripper part 17, 18 hereby comes to lie at a distance from shoulder S of bottle 1. As a result, a free space is created all around gripper part 17, 18, which allows a user to grip the gripper part 17, 18 with his or her hand.

Each handle IS, 16 is further provided with support elements 20. Support elements 20 are preferably provided on either side of gripper part 17 and 18. Support elements 20 take a rigid form, just as the gripper part 17, 18. Gripper parts 17 and 18 further preferably form one rigid whole with support elements 20. Hereby, each gripper part 17, 18 determines the relative position between the support elements 20 which are provided on either side of this gripper part 17, 18. While gripper part 17, 18 is mainly provided to allow a user to grip the handle IS, 16, support elements 20 are primarily provided for the purpose of bridging the distance 12 when two bottles are stacked, as shown in figure 1. Gripper parts 17, 18 can secondly also be formed for the purpose of bridging the distance 12 and providing support between two stacked bottles.

Two handles are provided in the embodiment of figure 2, a first handle IS and a second handle 16. First handle IS extends in a first direction and second handle 16 extends in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction. The directions in which handles IS, 16 extend are here seen transversely of the longitudinal axis 2 of bottle 1.

Figure 2 also shows how the handles are formed symmetrically relative to each other. Considering figure 2, the skilled person will appreciate that the construction of the handles and the relative orientation of the handles of figure 2 has several advantages. Firstly, handles IS, 16 can be dimensioned such that support elements 20 are situated at the position of the corners of bottle 1. Figure 2 shows in top view how bottle 1 is formed with a body part having four side walls 21 and four corners 22. The terms side wall and corner here relate to the overall impression made by the bottle and not to a flat wall and not to a sharp corner, as will be apparent to the skilled person. Strengthening ribs 23 in the shape of the bottle are preferably provided at the position of corners 22 so that a weight of an upper-lying bottle can be better borne by a lower-lying bottle. The construction of the handles has the result that support elements 20 can be provided at the position of these strengthening ribs 23, which improves the stability of the stack.

A second advantage of the construction of handles IS, 16 is that the bottle can be carried very easily by two people. When a first person is positioned on the right-hand side of the bottle and grasps gripper part 17, and a second person is positioned on the left-hand side of the bottle and grasps gripper part 18, bottle 1 can be ergonomically carried by two people. This is particularly advantageous in bottles having a large volume.

Support elements 20 are preferably formed to be compatible in shape with the shoulder and/or with the peripheral base part 11 of the bottle in order to prevent displacement of support element 20 relative to the shoulder part and/or peripheral base part in the stacked position.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of top piece 8 of bottle 1 and shows the above described components of the top piece. Figure 3 here shows the two handles IS and 16 and the gripper parts 17 and 18 which are connected to the annular element 13 via arms 19. Figure 3 further shows support elements 20, which are in each case provided on either side of gripper part 17 and 18.

A bottle 1 according to the invention preferably has a volume greater than 5 litres, more preferably greater than 10 litres, most preferably greater than IS litres. A bottle 1 according to the invention preferably has a volume smaller than 35 litres, more preferably smaller than 30 litres, most preferably smaller than 25 litres.

The skilled person will appreciate on the basis of the above description that the invention can be embodied in different ways and on the basis of different principles. The invention is not limited here to the above described embodiments. The above described embodiments and the figures are purely illustrative and serve only to increase understanding of the invention. The invention is not therefore limited to the embodiments described herein, but is defined in the claims.

Key to the figures

1. bottle

2. longitudinal axis

3. bottle cap

4. bottle neck

5. shoulder part

6. body part

7. base part

8. top piece

9. collar

10. recess

11. peripheral base part

12. distance

13. annular element

14. fixing means

15. first handle

16. second handle

17. first gripper part IS. second gripper part

19. arm

20. support element

21. side wall

22. corner

23. strengthening rib