BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed generally to a bottle formed from a thermoplastic material and, in particular, to any size plastic bottle, including a large plastic bottle, used for example in water coolers, which includes an integrally formed internal skeleton which adds strength to the bottle while allowing overall weight reduction thereof.

The clear plastic bottles used to hold fresh or spring water for use in conjunction with office or home water coolers are well-known. The bottles are generally large and usually hold five gallons of water. Such bottles include a small neck portion which is used to fill the bottle and then temporarily sealed by a rubber top or other such cap during shipment and storage. Such bottles are relatively heavy and are difficult and awkward to turn over and place on a water cooler or the like. Such bottles are generally about 17-18" in overall height and about 9-10" in diameter. The bottle neck is generally about 2" in diameter.

Apart from the weight of the five gallons of water in such containers, the tare weight of the bottle itself is of significance. Apart from the weight, it is important that the bottle be strong enough to withstand the usual banging and knocking received during shipment and storage.

One solution is to provide a thicker walled bottle. Such a proposal is less than satisfactory in that the tare weight of the bottle is substantially increased thereby adding to the overall weight of a filled bottle, and also wasting unnecessary resources.

Such bottles are generally blow molded from a plastic material such as polycarbonate or polyethylene. The molding process includes extruding hot plastic into a mold and using pressurized air to blow the plastic into a shape conforming to the mold thereby forming the bottle. It is also noted that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) may be used to form such bottles. U.S. Patent No. 5,217,128 describes a process for forming such bottles.

It would be particularly desirable to provide a new bottle construction which provides a stronger bottle while using less plastic material. The present invention provides an internal skeleton formed integrally inside the bottle during the molding process which solves such problems.

Another problem faced by conventional large bottles of the type under discussion is the difficulty in carrying such bottles and in inserting such bottles on water coolers or other dispensers on which they will be used. The present invention provides unique constructions which permit easy carrying and convenient installation of such bottles on water coolers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, in accordance with the present invention, a one-piece bottle formed from a thermoplastic material is provided. The bottle includes a bottom wall, a side wall formed integrally with and extending upwardly from the outer periphery of the bottom wall and a shoulder formed integrally with and extending upwardly and inwardly from the outer periphery of the side wall. The shoulder includes a central portion from which a neck extends upwardly. Each of the bottom wall, side wall, shoulder and neck have inner and outer surfaces. A plurality of angularly spaced internal vertical ribs are formed integrally at least on the inner surface of the side wall of the bottle to form an internal skeleton for the bottle. The internal ribs do not affect the contour of the outer surface of the bottle.

The vertical ribs may also extend along the bottom wall up the side wall and along the shoulder to provide added strength.

In an additional embodiment, the side wall includes a concave recess formed in the outer surface of the side wall proximate the bottom wall which extends radially therearound. The outer surface of the bottom wall is recessed at an inner portion thereof such that the concave recess in the side wall and the recessed portion in the bottom wall form a handle extending 360° around the bottle to permit grasping by the

hands of a user. In addition or alternatively, the neck of the bottle may taper to a wider opening and may include a plurality of concave grooves formed on the outer surface of the neck along the length thereof to permit secure grasping of the bottle neck by the fingers of a user. The neck may include a grooved channel extending radially therearound at the juncture of the neck with the shoulder to act as an anti-splash device.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved plastic bottle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a plastic bottle with an integrally formed internal skeleton which permits reduction in the amount of material used to form the bottle while enhancing the overall strength thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece bottle formed from a thermoplastic material which includes a convenient integrally formed handle grip which extends around the bottle to permit easy insulation of the bottle on a liquid dispenser.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a plastic bottle with a tubular neck having grooved portions to assist in carrying the bottle.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a bottle with internal skeleton constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line

2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is made to the drawings including Figs. 1 through 3 which depict a bottle, generally indicated at 10 and constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In conjunction with the present invention, bottle 10 is preferably a water bottle which holds about five gallons of water such as purified water or spring water and which is installed upside down on a water cooler or similar dispenser. The bottle may be cylindrical as depicted or any other shape such as rectangular. The bottle is formed from a thermoplastic material such as polycarbonate, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) , although other types of thermoplastic materials may be used to form the bottle. Such bottles are generally clear or translucent.

Bottle 10 is of a one-piece construction and includes a bottom wall 20. A side wall 30 is formed integrally with bottom wall 20 and extends upwardly from the outer periphery of bottom wall 20. A shoulder portion 40 is formed integrally with and extends upwardly and inwardly from the outer periphery of side wall 30. Shoulder 40 includes a central portion 50 from which extends a neck 60 having an open end 70. Bottle 10 is filled through neck 60. Thereafter a top or rubber cap is placed over open end 70 of neck 60 to seal same.

Bottom wall 20 includes an inner surface 21 and an outer surface 22. Likewise, side wall 30 includes an inner surface 31 and an outer surface 32. Shoulder 40 includes an inner surface 41 and an outer surface 42. Neck 60 includes an inner surface 61 and an outer surface 62.

A plurality of internal ribs 34 are formed integrally on inner surface 31 of side wall 30 to form an internal skeleton for bottle 10. Ribs 34 may extend along bottom wall

20, vertically up side wall 30, and along inner surface 41 of shoulder 40 for some distance.

Ribs 34 are angularly spaced in the radial direction around inner surface 31 of side wall 30 and are formed integrally therewith. The internal ribs do not affect the appearance or contour of outer surface 32 of side wall 30. By providing ribs 34, about 20% less material can be used to form the bottle. For example, a conventional plastic five gallon water bottle weighs about 875 grams. With the internal skeleton of the present invention, the bottle weighs only ^" about 670 grams. This is a reduction in weight of over 20%. Similar savings in weight are found in three gallon plastic water bottles and one gallon plastic milk bottles which incorporate the internal skeleton of the present invention».

In order to assist in carrying bottle 10 by neck 60 thereof, it is noted that several concave grooves 64 are formed on outer surface 62 of neck 60. Such grooves permit secure and ready grasping of the bottle by the fingers of a user who will carry the bottle by the neck thereof. It is also noted that neck 60 tapers upwardly to a wider opening which also assists in carrying the bottle by the neck.

Those familiar with placing large bottles on the top of water coolers know the awkward nature and difficulty in lifting such bottles off the ground, inverting such bottles and placing the inverted bottle in the appropriate slot on the top of the water cooler or dispenser. As described below, the present invention provides a convenient hand grip which extends all the way around the bottom of the bottle to permit easy and secure grasping of the bottle to allow inverting same and placement on the water cooler. This handle construction also allows one hand to readily grasp the bottom of the bottle while the other hand is positioned on the shoulder or neck of the bottle to divide the weight therebetween and to stabilize same during installation on a cooler.

Referring again to the drawings, it is seen that a concave recessed annular ring 36 is formed in outer wall 32 of side wall 30 proximate bottom wall 20 thereof. A complimentary

recessed portion 24 is formed on the outer wall 22 of bottom wall 20 as depicted. Recessed portion 24 in bottom wall 20 is provided at an inner portion thereof to define a platform 26 on which bottle 10 can rest on a floor or the like.

When bottle 10 is lifted, the fingers of a user will conveniently extend into recessed annular ring 36 on side wall 30 while the thumbs of the user are conveniently placed in recessed portion 24 on bottom wall 20. A convenient handle and gripping portion is thereby formed permitting easy, secure and ready inversion and installation of the bottle on a water cooler.

It is also noted that bottle 10 may include several horizontal convex rib projections 38 on outer wall 32 of side wall 30. Such concave rib projections give added strength to the bottle and cooperate with internal ribs 34 forming the internal skeleton to provide added strength thereto.

It is noted again particularly that internal ribs 34 do not affect the shape, contour or appearance of the outer walls of the bottle. On the other hand, concave recessed annular ring 36, recessed portion 24 in bottom wall 20 and convex rib projections 38 in side wall 30 affect both the inner and outer surfaces of the bottle.

Bottle 10 is preferably formed in a blow molding process of the type described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,217,128. The ring opening where the parison or preformed bottle is formed exists between the opening in the die and the mandrel. Internal ribs 34 may be formed externally or internally on the preformed bottle before blow molding. When formed externally, the ribs will become internal ribs during the blow molding process as they are pushed inwardly. Alternatively, the ribs may be formed internally in the preformed bottle originally through the die and will thereafter remain internal ribs during the blow molding process.

The present invention provides a bottle, such as a five gallon water jug, for use in a water cooler which includes an internal skeleton formed before the blow molding process. The internal skeleton does not affect the outer surface of the

bottle, but allows significant weight reduction in the finished bottle without any loss of strength, thereby reducing costs. The internal skeleton also provides more flexibility and higher resistance to breakage or rupture upon impact by the filled bottle with a floor or other surface. The convenient hand gripping portions allow ready carrying of the bottle by the neck thereof and also permit ready grasping of the bottle for placement on a water cooler.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.