OPTIMIZATION METHOD OF NON-OPTIMIZED GLASS BOTTLES AND OPTIMIZED

GLASS BOTTLE

Field of the Art

The present invention relates to an optimized glass bottle with a specific geometric construction which provides glass weight savings with respect to an equivalent glass bottle having a conventional geometry without altering the main outer and functional dimensions of the bottle such as the diameter of its body portion, height, or area on which a label can be applied, and therefore without altering the front visual elevational view of the bottle and the quality thereof perceived by a user and without requiring modifications in production lines or logistics.

The invention also relates to an optimization method to modify a non-optimized glass bottle to obtain an optimized bottle lighter and/or with a bigger facial view than the non-optimized bottle without requiring relevant changes in the production lines, logistics, etc.

State of the Art

Glass bottles presenting axial symmetry around their axial axis which simplifies and reduces the costs of bottle manufacturing, handling, labeling, and capping operations, thereby obtaining highly cost-effective bottles, are known; however, the visual front of these bottles which determines the volume perceived by the consumer can hardly be modified.

In order to increase the visual front in bottles of this type with axial symmetry, use of thicker glass in the walls of the bottle is known, thereby achieving an increase in the outer volume of the bottle without an increase in the inner volume given that, at the same inner volume, the thinner the wall of the bottle is, the smaller the outer volume of the bottle will be, and therefore the smaller the volume perceived by a user will also be. This discourages bottle weight reduction because it leads to a loss of visual front and of volume perceived by users, which may affect sales.

Glass bottles in which the body portion of the bottle has an oblong cross-section, for example, an elliptical or rectangular cross-section, are known, with the bottle thereby offering, when viewed from the front, a greater outer silhouette which in the sector is known as “visual front”, without increasing the inner volume. However, this solution complicates and increases the costs of bottle manufacturing, labeling, and transport operations.

The present invention solves these and other drawbacks by providing a geometry which allows a simple, quick, and cost-effective automated manufacture in bottles which, with the same inner volume as other bottles not falling under the present invention, offer a greater visual front. This invention furthermore allows a reduction in glass thickness, and therefore savings in terms of weight and emissions both during manufacture and during transport and recycling, maintaining or increasing the visual front and the perceived volume of the bottle.

Brief Description of the Invention

The present invention relates to an optimized glass bottle, i.e., a bottle with a geometry which allows glass to be used more efficiently, obtaining a greater “visual front” with the same or lower weight of glass, and therefore lower CO2 emissions during manufacture, transport, and recycling, all this without hindering the manufacturing, labeling, and automatic handling operations thereof.

The proposed optimized glass bottle comprises the following parts arranged in succession along an axial axis and joined in continuity: a base, a body portion, a shoulder portion, and a neck portion with a mouth providing access to a hollow interior of the bottle. All these parts are formed in one and the same continuous glass wall defining the bottle.

It is understood that the axial axis goes through the bottle from the base to the mouth, preferably through its center, and determines an axial direction defining the height of the bottle. Any reference to a radial or transverse direction shall be understood as being perpendicular to said axial axis, and any mention of the width or depth of the bottle or of the parts thereof shall be understood as being perpendicular to the mentioned axial axis.

The cross-section of the body portion of the bottle, perpendicular to the axial axis, shall be greater than the cross-section of the neck portion, with the largest part of the storage volume of the bottle being in the body portion and only a small percentage of the bottle capacity being in the neck portion, typically less than 10% or even less than 5%, depending on the bottle format used.

The shoulder portion joins the body portion and the neck portion in continuity and determines a sudden narrowing of the cross-section of the hollow interior of the bottle, forming an inner funnel connecting said portions.

Typically, the base portion has a constant cross-section or an increasing cross-section from the base to the shoulder portion. In this case the limit between the base portion and the shoulder portion will be defined where said cross-section starts to decrease.

Typically, the neck portion of the bottle has a constant cross-section or reduces its cross- section slowly at a constant pace from the shoulder region to the mouth in this case the limit between the shoulder portion and the neck portion will be defined where the cross section of the bottle starts the constant cross-section or starts to reduce its cross-section at a constant pace towards the mouth.

It is understood that the sudden narrowing is a narrowing which performs a transition from the size of the body portion to the size of the neck portion and typically gives rise to shoulders with an inclination of more than 30 ^e , or preferably more than 40 ^e , with respect to the axial axis.

In the proposed bottle, the body portion presents axial symmetry around the axial axis at least in its lower two-thirds, simplifying its manufacture, handling, and/or labeling, and the neck portion presents axial symmetry around the axial axis at least in its upper two-thirds, simplifying its manufacture, handling, labeling, and/or capping.

It is understood that an object, or part of an object, with axial symmetry will give rise to one and the same appearance observed from different angular positions defined around the axial axis. If the cross-sections of the body portion are circular, for example, observation from any angular position around the axial axis will give rise to an identical appearance. If the cross- sections are regular polygons, for example, or of any other geometry with a radial repeating pattern around the axial axis every 10 ^e , 15 ^e , 30 ^e , 45 ^e , 60 ^e , or 90 ^e , for example, observation will only give rise to an identical appearance from specific angular positions of said radial repeating pattern, i.e., every 10 ^e , 15 ^e , 30 ^e , 45 ^e , 60 ^e , or 90 ^e , for example. It will be understood that there is axial symmetry if it gives rise to an identical appearance from at least four different angular positions around the axial axis.

In other words, if the cross-sections were square cross-sections, the appearance would be identical every 90 ^e around the axial axis, and if they were hexagonal or octagonal cross- sections, the appearance would be identical every 60 ^e or 45 ^e . The same would be true if, instead of being square, hexagonal, or octagonal, the cross-sections had a geometric pattern which is repeated every 90 ^e , 60 ^e , or 45 ^e .

An element, or part of an element, will still be considered as presenting axial symmetry even if it presents certain deviations between the width dimension and depth dimension measured in a plane perpendicular to the axial axis of up to 3%, corresponding to the typical tolerances for the manufacture of bottles of this type. In other words, a body portion or a neck portion may be up to 3% wider than it is deep without considering that it no longer presents axial symmetry as a result.

Therefore, the present invention proposes a bottle in which at least the lower two-thirds of the body portion, i.e., two-thirds its height in direction Z closer to the base, and at least the upper two-thirds of the neck portion, i.e., two-thirds its height in direction Z closer to the mouth, present axial symmetry around the axial axis.

These bottle parts proposed as presenting axial symmetry are bottle parts which are used mostly by automatic manufacturing and transport devices for handling bottles, and they are also the parts where capping and automatic labeling operations are mostly performed in automatic manufacturing lines. Therefore, by causing these parts to present axial symmetry, said bottle manufacturing, transport, capping, and labeling operations are simplified, accelerated, and rendered more economical, furthermore allowing the proposed invention to be applied to existing bottles without having to make any investment to modify existing manufacturing lines.

However, the present invention further proposes, in a manner not known in the state of the art, for the shoulder portion to present a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis extending in direction Z, that is oblong along at least its central part, maximizing the visual front of the bottle in relation to the inner volume of the shoulder portion.

In other words, it is proposed for at least the central part of the shoulder region, which is that part of the shoulder region farthest away from both the body portion and the neck portion, to have a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis, that is oblong, therefore being wider, in direction X, than it is deep, in direction Y, therefore giving rise to an asymmetrical planar shoulder portion.

It is understood that an oblong geometry is not limited only to an elliptical shape, but rather also covers any other polygonal or non-polygonal geometry in which said size difference between the width and depth exists, provided that said size difference is greater than the 3% tolerance margin indicated above, since below said limit, it will not be considered an oblong geometry.

By providing at least said central region of the shoulder portion with an oblong cross-section, the visual front of the shoulder portion is maximized, offering a larger appearance, without increasing the inner volume thereof, since a widening of the width of the shoulder portion in direction X is offset with a narrowing of its depth in direction Y.

As a result of the present invention, a bottle with the same functional behavior as an “equivalent bottle” without this asymmetry in the shoulders is obtained. In other words, its behavior in manufacturing and bottling lines or logistics platforms is the same as the behavior of a bottle which is completely symmetrical to the axial axis, but which offers a greater visual front, or offers one and the same visual front but using a smaller amount of glass in the bottle, which will have a smaller wall thickness, and therefore a larger inner volume, in the different areas of the shoulder portion.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the upper third of the body portion may also present axial symmetry around the axial axis, and therefore at the point where the body portion and the shoulder portion meet, the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis will also present axial symmetry around the axial axis. According to this embodiment, the shoulder portion would present axial symmetry at its lower end adjacent to the body portion and would then perform a transition until presenting an oblong cross-section in the central region of the shoulder portion.

Alternatively or additionally, it is also proposed for the lower third of the neck portion to be able to also present axial symmetry around the axial axis. Therefore, at the point where the neck portion and the shoulder portion meet, the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis will present axial symmetry around the axial axis. According to this embodiment, the shoulder portion would present axial symmetry at its upper end adjacent to the neck portion and would then perform a transition until presenting an oblong cross-section in the central region of the shoulder portion.

According to another envisaged embodiment, the upper third of the body portion may also have a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis, that is oblong such that, at the point where the body portion and the shoulder portion meet, the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis is oblong. This allows the area of the bottle in which the visual front of the bottle is maximized in relation to the inner volume to be increased.

Alternatively or additionally, it is also proposed for the lower third of the neck portion to be able to also have a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis, that is oblong. In this manner, at the point where the neck portion and the shoulder portion meet, the cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis, will also be oblong, thereby increasing the area of the bottle in which the visual front of the bottle is maximized in relation to the inner volume.

The present invention also proposes for the weight of the empty bottle in grams divided by the internal capacity of the bottle in milliliters to provide a glass efficiency ratio equal to or less than 0.66, or equal to or less than 0.63, or equal to or less than 0.60. These values correspond to bottles with a reduced glass weight and which, as a result of the proposed invention, will maintain a visual front that is the same as or even greater than the visual front of other equivalent bottles not falling under the present invention and with a higher glass weight.

It will be understood that an equivalent bottle is that bottle with one and the same internal capacity and with the same outer dimensions as those of the areas of the proposed bottle provided with axial symmetry.

The present invention also allows an optimization method to be applied for optimizing a non- optimized glass bottle provided with the following parts arranged in succession along an axial axis (E) and joined in continuity: a base (11), a body portion (12), a shoulder portion (13), and a neck portion (14) with a mouth (15) providing access to a hollow interior of the bottle (10), and in which the body portion, the shoulder portion, and the neck portion present axial symmetry around the axial axis.

This definition covers the vast majority of bottles existing on the market, so said optimization method would be applicable to almost all conventional bottles existing on the market.

The method would comprise the following steps: generating a non-optimized geometric model of the non-optimized glass bottle which, as mentioned, presents axial symmetry along the entire length of the body, shoulder, and neck portions; generating an optimized geometric model by means of modifying the non-optimized geometric model without modifying the outer geometry in at least the lower two-thirds of the body portion and in at least the upper two-thirds of the neck portion with respect to the non- optimized geometric model, but causing the cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis, of at least one central region of the shoulder portion away from the body and neck portions, to become oblong without altering the inner volume of the bottle with respect to the non- optimized geometric model; producing optimized bottles by means of at least one manufacturing mold generated from the optimized geometric model.

In other words, the present optimization method comprises: generating a virtual geometric model of a non-optimized bottle comprising a base, a body portion, a shoulder portion, and a neck portion arranged in succession along an axial axis and joined in continuity, the neck portion including a mouth providing access to a hollow interior of the bottle, said virtual geometric model of the non-optimized bottle presenting axial symmetry along the entire length of the body, shoulder, and neck portions; modifying the virtual geometric model of the non-optimized bottle by deforming at least one central region of the shoulder portion causing a cross-section of the central region of the shoulder portion perpendicular to the axial axis to become oblong losing its axial symmetry, and keeping the volume of the hollow interior unchanged, the outer geometry in at least the lower two-thirds of the body portion unchanged and in at least the upper two-thirds of the neck portion unchanged, obtaining a virtual geometric model of an optimized bottle; producing optimized bottles by means of at least one manufacturing mold generated from the virtual geometric model of the optimized bottle.

At least the areas of the shoulder portion adjacent to the oblong cross-section will be also modified to produce a smooth transition from the oblong cross-section to the axis-symmetric cross section of the rest of the bottle.

This method therefore allows any non-optimized bottle existing on the market to be optimized, converting same into an optimized bottle, increasing its visual front and/or maintaining the same visual front while at the same time reducing its weight, all this by only altering the manufacturing mold but without requiring additional modifications in the production, labeling, capping, or transport lines, or in the storage and transport containers of said bottles.

The deformation of the central region of the shoulder portion can be performed by keeping the area contained within the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis in the optimized bottle the same as in the non-optimized bottle. In such case, the oblong cross section will have one dimension reduced and one dimension increased, obtaining an optimized bottle with an increased visual front of the bottle with the same weight.

Alternatively, the deformation of the central region of the shoulder portion is performed by keeping the area contained within the cross-section perpendicular to the axial axis in the optimized bottle smaller than in the non-optimized bottle, for example maintaining unchanged the dimension in the X axis direction, maintaining the visual front of the bottle unchanged, but reducing its dimension in the Y axis direction.

This reduction in the cross-sectional area of the shoulder portion will produce a reduction in the general inner volume of the bottle. In order to obtain an optimized bottle with the same inner volume than the non-optimized bottle, the thickness of the walls of the bottle shall be reduced, while maintaining the outer geometry of the body portion, in at least the lower two- thirds thereof, and of the neck portion, in at least the upper two-thirds, unchanged, producing an increase in the inner volume while reducing the bottle weight.

It will be understood that the wall of the bottle is the wall constitutive of the base, the body portion, the shoulder portion, and the neck portion.

The step of generating the optimized geometric model can also include modifying the geometry of the cross-section of the upper third of the body portion and/or of the lower third of the neck portion to also cause them to become oblong.

Generating the optimized geometric model may furthermore include reducing the weight of the bottle by reducing the thickness of the glass in the wall of the bottle in the optimized geometric model, keeping the inner volume of the bottle unchanged with respect to the non- optimized geometric model. This can be achieved by means of a precise control of the oblong geometry of the modified parts of the optimized geometric model.

In this case, the optimized geometric model can be generated by keeping the front profile of the bottle unchanged, keeping the maximum width dimension of the oblong cross-section regions unchanged with respect to the non-optimized geometric model, and modifying only the depth dimension of said oblong cross-section regions with respect to the non-optimized geometric model, thereby obtaining an optimized bottle with a visual front identical to that of the non-optimized bottle, and with a lower weight.

Preferably, the method also leaves the outer geometry of the base of the bottle unchanged with respect to the non-optimized bottle.

It is understood that a geometric model is a graphical representation in a two- or three- dimensional space of the bottle which reproduces all the relevant dimensions of the bottle. Said graphical representation can consist, for example, of two-dimensional planes, a three- dimensional virtual model, or even a three-dimensional mock-up of the bottle.

It will be understood that references to geometric positions, such as parallel, perpendicular, tangent, etc., allow deviations of ± 5° with respect to the theoretical position defined by this nomenclature.

Other features of the invention are described below.

Brief Description of the Figures

The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood based on the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the attached drawings which should be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in which: Figures 1 A and 1 B show a front and side view of one and the same bottle according to a first embodiment of the invention in which the body portion and the neck portion have a constant cross-section along the length thereof, and in which only the shoulder portion presents an oblong cross-section, and in which the profile which the shoulder portion would have if it were to present axial symmetry has been indicated with a discontinuous line;

Figures 2A and 2B show a front and side view of one and the same bottle according to a first embodiment of the invention in which the body portion and the neck portion have a cross- section increasing towards the shoulder portion, and in which the shoulder portion, an upper part of the body portion, and a lower region of the neck portion, which are adjacent to the shoulder portion, have an oblong cross-section, and in which the profile which the shoulder portion would have if it were to present axial symmetry has been indicated with a discontinuous line;

Figure 3 shows three cross-sections of one and the same bottle with a cylindrical general geometry, corresponding to a cross-section of the body portion, a cross-section of the shoulder portion, and a cross-section of the neck portion;

Figure 4 shows three cross-sections of one and the same bottle with a polyhedral general geometry having a square cross-section with beveled corners, corresponding to a cross- section of the body portion, a cross-section of the shoulder portion, and a cross-section of the neck portion.

Detailed Description of an Embodiment

The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood based on the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the attached drawings which should be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner.

The optimized glass bottle object of the present invention is defined by a continuous glass wall forming a base (11), a body portion (12), a shoulder portion (13), and a neck portion (14) with a mouth (15) providing access to a hollow interior of the bottle (10). All these parts of the bottle are arranged in succession around an axial axis (E) and define a container capable of holding liquids when it is in an upright position, with the mouth (15) at the upper end thereof.

The body portion (12) has a cross-section greater than the neck portion (14), thereby defining a greater inner volume in the body portion (12) than in the neck portion (14). The shoulder portion (13) connects the body portion (12) and the neck portion (14), performing a transition from the size of the cross-section of the body portion (12) to the size of the cross- section of the neck portion (14), and determines a sudden narrowing of the cross-section of the hollow interior of the bottle (10).

According to one embodiment, the body portion (12) presents axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) in its lower two-thirds, i.e., in the two-thirds of its length closer to the base (11), and the neck portion (14) presents axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) in its upper two- thirds, i.e., in the two-thirds of its length closer to the mouth (15), simplifying the manufacturing, handling, labeling, and/or capping of the bottle (10).

According to this embodiment shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the entire shoulder portion (13) has a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis (E), that is oblong, i.e., with a width dimension (D1) greater than depth dimension (D2) measured in a plane perpendicular to the axial axis (E), and this oblong cross-section also extends into parts of the upper third of the body portion (12) and of the lower third of the neck portion (14) which are adjacent to the shoulder portion (13).

This feature allows the visual front of the bottle (10) to be maximized in relation to the inner volume of the shoulder portion (13).

According to another alternative embodiment, the entire body portion (12) and the entire neck portion (14) present axial symmetry around the axial axis (E), and only a central portion of the shoulder portion (13) presents a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis (E), that is oblong. Therefore, said shoulder portion (13) will present, in its contact area with the body portion (12) and the neck portion (14), axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) and will perform a transition from the section with axial symmetry to the section with an oblong shape and again to the section with axial symmetry.

According to this embodiment, the effect of maximizing the visible front of the bottle is only limited to the central region, in vertical direction Z, of the shoulder portion (13).

Evidently, embodiments which are in between the two examples described above are also contemplated, in which the area of the bottle (10) presenting a cross-section, perpendicular to the axial axis (E), that is oblong extends until covering not only the central region of the shoulder portion (13), but also the lower and/or upper portions of the shoulder portion (13), as shown in Figures 1A and 1 B, and even parts of the lower third of the neck portion (14) and/or parts of the upper third of the body portion (12), as shown in Figures 2A and 2B.

It is also contemplated that the region of the body portion (12) and of the neck portion (14) presents an oblong section that is not one-third, but rather a smaller percentage such as, for example, one-fourth or one-fifth. According to one embodiment of the invention, the oblong cross-section of the bottle (10), perpendicular to the axial axis (E), having a greater difference between the width dimension (D1) and depth dimension (D2), is at most 30% wider than it is deep, or at most 25% wider than it is deep, or at most 20% wider than it is deep.

Alternatively or additionally, the oblong cross-section of the bottle (10), perpendicular to the axial axis (E), presenting a greater difference between the width dimension (D1) and depth dimension (D2), can be at least 5% wider than it is deep, or at least 10% wider than it is deep.

According to one embodiment, the segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) have a cross-section, perpendicular the axial axis (E), with constant shape and size. Therefore, in these segments the glass wall of the bottle will be completely vertical and parallel to the axial axis (E).

Alternatively, it is proposed for the segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) to have a cross-section with a constant shape and increasing or decreasing size from the base (11) to the mouth (15). Therefore, in these segments the glass wall of the bottle will have an inclination with respect to the axial axis (E), typically an inclination of less than 15 ^e .

For example, it is proposed for the segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) to have a cross-section, perpendicular the axial axis, with a circular shape or a polygonal shape such as, for example, square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc., or with a radial repeating pattern around the axial axis with at least four repetitions such as, for example, in the form of honeycombs or grooving.

Preferably, the bottle (10) will include a label only in the segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E).

The segments of the body portion (12) and/or of the neck portion (14) presenting axial symmetry around the axial axis (E) allow deviations between the width dimension (D1) and depth dimension (D2) measured in a plane perpendicular to the axial axis (E) of up to 3%, without considering that it no longer presents axial symmetry as a result, since they fall within the typical manufacturing tolerances in the sector.