Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PLASTIC WATEP, BOTTLE AND APPARATUS
AND METHOD TO PREVENT BOTTLE ROTATION
The present invention relates to containers for fluids, and more particularly
to a plastic
bottle for non-carbonated beverages that resists deformation and damage during
the capping
process. The present invention also relates to the art of capping containers
as they are moved
along a preselected path, and more particularly to an improvement in a capping
machine which
prevents rotation of the container as a cap is being tightened onto the neck
of the container. The
invention is particularly applicable to a container guide which retains the
container in the filling
and/or capping machine as the container passes through the machine and will
'be described with
particular reference thereto.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Blow-molded plastic bottles for containing liquids at elevated pressures are
known and
have found increasing acceptance. Such containers are accepted particularly in
the beverage
industry as disposable containers for use with effervescent or carbonated
beverages, especially
carbonated soft drinks. These plastic containers can reliably contain
carbonated beverages
generating internal pressures as high as 100 psi or more and can be
inexpensively manufactured.
Typically, these plastic bottles have a cylindrical shape which reliably
contain carbonated
beverage products, can be easily handled, can be inexpensively manufactured,
and have stability
when filled and unfilled. Such containers have most frequently been
manufactured from plastic
materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by, for example, blow
molding a portion of
PET into a mold formed in the shape of the container. The biaxial expansion of
PET by blow
molding imparts rigidity and strength to the formed PET material, and blow
molded PET can
provide economically acceptable wall thicknesses, with clarity in relatively
intricate designs,
sufficient strength to contain pressures up to 100 psi and more, and
resistance to gas passage that
may deplete contained beverages of their carbonation.
One problem in plastic container design is the propensity of PET to succumb to
the
deleterious effects of stress cracking and crazing, which is manifested as
almost imperceptible
streaks in the plastic, but ultimately can become complete cracks due to
stress and other
environmental factors. Relatively unstretched portions of a plastic container
that have low
degrees of crystallinity due to the lack of biaxial expansion, such as the
central bottom portion,
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are particularly susceptible to crazing and stress cracking. The relatively
unstretched central
portion of the container bottom is also frequently provided with a plurality
of depending feet that
are formed with distention-resistant but stress concentrating areas, and the
composite effect on
such areas of stress and strain due to the internal pressure of the container
and external
environmental factors can lead to crazing, stress cracking and container
bottom failure.
One commercial cylindrical beverage container that seeks to avoid such
problems is
formed with a full hemispherical bottom portion and provided with a separate
plastic base
member fastened over the hemispherical bottom portion to provide a stable base
for the
-container. Such containers are in common use for large multi-liter containers
for carbonated
beverages, even though the provision of a separate plastic base member imposes
increased
container height, and increased manufacturing and material costs for each
container. Another
commercial cylindrical beverage container that seeks to avoid such problems
includes a
"champagne" type base having concave, or "domed" eversion-resisting central
bottom portions
merging with the cylindrical container sidewalls at an annular ring which
forms a stable base for
the container. The central domed portion of a champagne-based plastic
container generally
creates clearance for the gate area of the container which is intended to
resist deformation due
to the internal pressure of the container but is sensitive to stress cracking.
However, containers
with champagne bases require a greater wall thickness in the base portion to
resist the distending
and everting forces of the internal pressure and form stress concentrations at
the annular
base-forming transition between the concave central bottom portion and
cylindrical sidewall that
are prone to stress cracking and rupture when the container is dropped.
More recently, hemispherical bottom portions and concave champagne-like bottom
portions have been combined, in which a plurality of feet are formed in the
bottom of a blow
molded container. These designs frequently seek eversion-resistant concave
central bottom
portions formed by a plurality of surrounding feet that are interconnected by
a plurality of
generally downwardly convex hemispheric rib portions. Many of such container
designs
providing footed bottles are in commercial usage. Such container designs are
still subject, in the
absence of relatively thick bottom wall portions, to distention of their
concave central portions
due to high internal pressures that can create "rockers" and significantly
increased interior
container volume with lower fluid levels, all of which are unacceptable to
purchasers. Efforts
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to increase the eversion and distention resistance of the concave bottom
portions of such footed
colitainers with thinner bottom wall thicknesses have frequently led to bottom
portions including
small radii of curvature and discontinuous and abrupt transitions between
adjoining surfaces that
provide stress concentration, crazing and stress cracking sites. Many of these
problems have
been overcome by various bottom configurations such as illustrated in United
=States Patent Nos.
4,120,135; 4,978,015; 4,939,890; 5,398,485; 5,603,423; 5,816,029; 5,826,400;
5,934,024; and
6,276,546. These patents illustrate
some examples of the type and shape of bottles that can-be used in the present
invention.
Much of the plastic bottle design has =been directed to the carbonated bottle
industry.
However, the non-carbonated beverage market such as water, sport drinks, fruit
drinks and the
like has continued to grow. It is not uncommon that -plastic bottles
originally designed for
carbonated beverages are used for non-carbonated beverages. However, the use
of these plastic
bottles has been problematic, especially during the bottling of the non-
carbonated beverage. The
gas in carbonated beverage exerts a force on the interior of the, bottle, thus
resisting the
deformation or collapse of the base of the bottle during the capping of the
bottle. As a result, the
base and walls of the plastic bottle can be made of a thinner material, which
is a significant cost
savings to the manufacturer. The absence of gas in non-carbonated beverages
has resulted in
increased deformation and/or damage of base of the plastic bottle during the
bottling process.
In order to address this problem, increased wall thickness for the sidewalls
and base of the plastic
bottle has been used. Although the increased wall thickness of the plastic
bottle reduces the
incidence of deformation and/or damage of the base of the plastic bottle
during the bottling
process, the increased wall thickness translates into increased material
costs. Plastic bottles or
containers that include a plastic base attachment have also been used to
address this problem.
However, the use of the plastic base attachment also increases the cost of the
bottle or container.
Bottling manufactures that bottle both carbonated and non-carbonated beverages
must now
maintain additional inventory of various bottle or container configurations
and thicknesses.
Machines in the bottling industry for fil~ Iing containers or capping
containers after being
filled are well known in the prior art. As defined herein, such machines are
collectively referred
to as bottling machines. United States Patent Nos. 5,934,042;
5,816,029; 5,732,528; 4,939,890; 4,624,098; and 4,295,320 provide
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a description of applications for conventional type bottling machines. Such
machines ~
will not be described in detail in this specification..
Generally, a capping and/or fill'mg apparatus includes a rotatable star wheel
mechanism
for moving the containers through the machine. The star wheel generally
includes a mechanism
for supporting the ~ container which is generally arranged about the periphery
of the 'star wheel.
An infeed mechanism or conveyor is utilized to bring the containers to an
entry point of the star
wheel, and an outfeed mechanism or conveyor is similarly mated to the
rotatable star wheel
mechanism to transfer the capped (or =filled) containers from an exit point of
the star wheel. A
stationary rear guide extending generally between the entry and exit points is
generally spaced
radially outwardly from the neck support assembly on the rotatable star wheel.
This.-rear guide
functions to retain the containers in the individual pockets of the neck
support assembly as the
star wheel rotates. In a conventional capping apparatus, a turret capper head
is directly over the
capper star wheel and moves in synchronous rotation with the capper star
wheel. In a bottle _
filling apparatus, a filling head is located above the capper star wheel.
Either of the capper head
or the filling head is driven axially downward at pre-determined periods of
time to place a
tightened cap onto the container or to place product within the bottle. Each
capper head generally
employs a clutch mechanism whereby the capper head is rotated and driven
axially downward
at a predetermined force and torque to tighten the cap on the container.
Within a bottling plant or facility, a single capping or filli.ng machine is
used to fill or cap
many different sized containers. In the soft drink industry such size
container can include a 12-oz
bottle, a 20-oz bottle, a 1-liter bottle, a 2-liter bottle, or others.
Positive control of the containers
throughout the machine is typically maintained by holding the containers by
the neck. Thus,
based upon a predetermined control height, all the containers will be guided,
and/or be partially
or fully suspended throughout the filling or capping process by the container
neck flange.
Nonually, the container will be rested on or be suspended above the nornmal
wear surface.
Mounted on the basic shaft of the bottling machine is a hub which supports the
mounting plate
and star wheel thereon. As the shaft is rotated, the hub rotates the star
wheel, thus moving the
containers through the machine to accomplish the capping and filling process.
Smaller star
wheels include and neck support assemblies integral with the hub. Larger star
wheel assemblies
include neck guide assemblies mounted on the star wheel. Each neck guide
assembly has fingers
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extended therefrom and guides and/or supports the neck of the container.
In order to retain the control height for different sized containers, each
container requires
a different size and/or shape neck support bracket and lower body guide
support for the sidewall
of the container. Thus, in each instance where the container size to be. run
is changed, it is
necessary to changeover different aspects of the bottling machine including
those portions of the
machine which are specific to the particular container size being run on the
line. In a bottling -
plant, such a changeover requires the use of skilled labor to remove the
equipment which is
specific for a particular size container and replace it with substitute
equipment which is specific
for a different size container: Thousands of containers pass through a
bottling machine each
hour. Maintaining this volume is very important to meet both consumer and
industry demands
as well as plant capacity. As'such, the down time associated with a changeover
to different size
containers is a significant loss both in dollars and productivity due to
reduced output capacity,'
idle manpower and the skilled work force required to complete a changeover. In
order to address
this problem, a modified container guide was developed and is disclosed in
United States Patent
No. 5,732,528. United States Patent No. 5,732,528
discloses an improved container guide system for a bottling machine, which
includes a
redesigned star wheel and rear container guides that enable the body guide, or
body star, on the
star wheel and the sidewall guide on the rear container guide to be capable of
quick adjustment
without the necessity of removing and reinstalling different guides for
different sized bottles.
Changeover mainly requires depressing a button on each guide to release an
adjustable locking
mechanism and to slide the guide along a positioning rod to a desired new
position. A
positioning block located on the guides holds the adjustable locking mechanism
and effectively
moves the body guide and/or sidewall guide to its new position where the
button is released to
lock the guide in place. The easy adjustment also allows for quick and easy
renloval of the guide
and replacement ivith another guide having the size requirements desired. This
improved
container guide system significantly reduces the down time of a bottling line
due to a changeover.
No tools are needed to effect the changeover as it relates to container
guides, thus a machine
operator is capable of depressing the button for releasing and sliding the
body guide, or body star,
on the star wheel or the sidewall guide on-the rear container guide to a
second position where the
button is, released and the guide is locked into place. The improved guide
system also reduces
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the number of parts necessary to effect a changeover on a bottling line and
provides a positive
adjustable control guide once the initial modifications to install the
invention are made to the
bottling machine.
With respect to the cap or the closure, for years, the crown was the dominant
closure
employed on containers and is still in use today in the beer industry. The
crown closure
eventually was partially replaced by caps or closures commonly called "roll-
on" caps. This type
of closure comprised a cap shell of aluminum which was inserted over the
threaded neck of the
container and then secured in place by rolling threads in situ into the walls
of the cap shell.
Capper heads which performed the rolling operation typically exerted downward
forces of up to
500 pounds onto the neck of the container. This force, of course, was
transmitted to the base of
the container and thereat developed a sufficient frictional force with the
capper star wheel base
to prevent container rotation during the capping process. Over time, the roll-
on cap was partially
replaced with plastic or metal locking type, threaded caps. In the beverage
industry, threaded
safety caps have a frangible connection at the cap base thereof which will
herein be referred to
as a "lock band". In the case of a metal cap; the capper heads simply crimped
the lock band about
the container neck portion beneath the lowermost thread. In the case of a
plastic cap, heat is
applied to the lock band of the cap after the cap is tightened onto the filled
container and then
shrunk to the neck of the container. Plastic caps with heated lock bands can
be applied to either
plastic or glass containers. In the plastic cap application, the force of the
capper head is generally
reduced to a downward thrust of about 50-60 pounds. This force is not
sufficient to generate a
sufficient frictional force at the base of the container to prevent the
container from rotating in the
pocket of the capper star wheel. Container rotation in the capper pocket
prevented adequate cap
tightening. Accordingly, several different concepts have been employed to
prevent container
rotation for plastic cap applications. For example, the container was shaped
with a wedge
sidewall configuration and the transfer mechanisms between the various star
wheels was
modified to feed the containers into configured pockets. Additionally, a high
friction material
such as polystyrene was applied to the bottom of the container, especially for
glass bottles, so as
to better grip the base of the capper star wheel and enhance the frictional,
anti-rotation force.
Such modifications, while functional, were not acceptable. The consuming
public did not accept
configured containers. Adding friction material to the container materially
increased its cost, and
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its effectiveness was diminished in the event the base of the capper star
wheel became wet or was
subjected to oil, both of which are conunon occurrences in the operation of a
bottling plant.
United States Patent No. 4,624,098, disclosed the use
of a belt to urge the container against the rear guide, thus increasing the
friction between the side
of the container and the rear guide which, when added to the frictional force
at the base of the
container, helped to prevent container rotation during the tightening of the
cap. This capping
design has proven acceptable in capping applications where the downward force
exerted on the
container head from the capping head is as low as 50-60 pounds.
. More recently, plastic, threaded safety caps or closures have been developed
which do
not require the application of heat to set or position the lock band. - By
tapering the bottle neck
beneath the lowermost thread and also tapering the edge of the lock band, the
lock band simply -
snaps in a locking position vis-a-vis the tapered fit when the cap is
tightened to a predetermined
position. This position occurs when the axial downward force on the cap from
the capper head
is about 15-20 pounds. This low capper force makes retention of the container
within the pocket
very difficult, even with the use of very strong elastic bands in the pocket
such as disclosed in
United States Patent No. 4,624,098. Accordingly, the device now in
conventional use for such
threaded plastic caps, at least when used on plastic containers, is a anti-
rotation device developed
by Metal Box p.l.c. This device includes a capper pocket that has an
arbitrarily designated
forward converging surface and a rearward converging surface. The forward
converging surface
bas backwardly facing teeth which oppose the tightening direction of rotation
of the capper head.
The rearward converging surface is smooth and acts, in conjunction with rear
guide, as a cam
surface to drive the container neck against the teeth of the forward
converging surface. This
device has several limitations. For instance, the toothed anti-rotation device
is limited to plastic
bottle applications in which the backwardly facing teeth can grip and
permanently indent the
surface ivithout fracturing the container. In glass bottles, the shock loading
when the backwardly
facing teeth grip the neck could result in container fracture. Furthermore,
although the forward
and rearward converging surfaces are designed to be easily replaced, the
replacement cost for
each capper pocket approaches several hundred dollars and is relatively
expensive. In addition,
the device is functionally limited. Not all containers have straight neck
portions underneath the
threads. Many bottle designs curve or taper the neck, and when this occurs,
the backwardly
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facing teeth make detrimental point contact with the container neck. More
significantly, the
diameter of the neck portions of a plastic container, whether tapered or
straight, typically varies
from the nominal dimension. The dimensional variation means that for some
containers, the
neck of the container will be cocked or wrenched into point indentation
contact with the
backwardly facing teeth as the cap is tightened. This will mark or score the
neck wall and such
marking is, of course, aggravated if the neck tapers and is not straight.
Since the plastic used to
manufacture the container is somewhat permeable, the scoring permits the gas
of a carbonated
beverage within the container to more easily permeate through the plastic,
contributing to a "flat"
beverage. More critical, though, is that the neck marking or scoring acts as a
stress riser to cause
an occasional container failure. This is unacceptable. Additionally, the
container is aesthetically
marred.
These problems were successfully addressed in United States Patent No.
4,939,890,
wherein an upwardly directed knife is used to prevent the rotation of the
container during the
capping process. The knife engaged the lower surface of a circular flange at
the bottom of the
threaded neck of a plastic container to prevent rotation of the plastic
container. A mechanism
for externally applying a downward force on the body of the container being
capped, which force
was independent of the downward force created by the capping operation, was
used during the
capping process. This anti-spin or anti-rotation mechanism has been
successful. The anti-
rotation device of United States Patent No. 4,939,890 is the most successful
arrangement for
applying plastic threaded safety caps onto the top of plastic containers where
the caps do not
require heat to set or position the lower lock band around the neck of the
container.
Although the capping mechanism disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,939,890
addressed many of the past deficiencies of past capping mechanisms, the
improved capping
mechanism required a mechanism for exerting a downward force on the container
which was
expensive and was dependent upon certain structural characteristics at the
upper portion of the
container itself. Changes in container configuration often require a new force-
exerting
mechanism. In addition, the use of the knife slightly disfigured the plastic
containers, thereby
making the containers less aesthetically pleasing to the consumer. Unites
States Patent Nos.
5,934,042; 5,826,400; 5,816,029; and 5,398,485 disclose anti-rotation
mechanisms that address
these issues. These patents disclose an anti-rotation mechanism used on a
capping machine,
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which accomplishes the results ofthe anti-rotation arrangement disclosed in
United States Patent
No. 4,939,890, but which does not rely upon developing downward frictional
force on the top
of the container during the capping operation.
The anti-rotation devices disclosed in Unites States Patent Nos. 5,934,042;
5,826,400;
5,816,029; and 5,398,485, are particularly applicable
for use with a plastic container having a pedaloid base (e.g. base with
multiple legs), which is
somewhat standard in the soft drink industry. These bases include a plurality
of downwardly
extending feet or pads, generally four or five, separated by diverging
recesses. The.plastic
containers with pedaloid bases are capped in standard machines having a lower
plate rotated with
the capping heads and having contoured recesses or nests directly aligned with
the capping heads
and pockets of the rotating star wheel. A plurality of specially contoured
recesses that match the
pedaloid base configuration are used to receive the bases of the containers as
the containers are
moved by the star wheel. Since the containers rest upon the lower circular
wear plate or ring and
are held within a contoured nest on the plate, rotation of the containers is
prevented by an
interference between the lower wear plate and the bottom, or base, of the
container. This
arrangement is completely different from the concept of increasing the
friction at the top of the
container or otherwise preventing rotation of the container by frictional
force.
The provision of a lower circular wear plate with machined recesses, each
matching the
contour of a pedaloid base of the plastic containers, can be expensive. Each
of the contoured
recesses must be specially produced and accurately matched with respect to the
actual shape of
each pedaloid base of the container being processed. Consequently, each
container required its
own lower support wear plate. Indeed, when the filled containers being capped
are changed from
a four pad pedaloid base to a five pad pedaloid base, a completely new,
specially machined plate
for supporting the pedaloid bases must be assembled onto the machine. This
arrangement for
providing a plate rotatable with the star wheel for supporting the lower
pedaloid bases of the
container demanded a plate which must be accurately machined for use with
specific star wheels.
Another anti-rotation system included an arrangement for fixing the suppoi-t
member or wear
plate in a position spaced from the turret where the containers slide along a
rib as the containers
are moved around the arcuate path dictated by the movement of the capping head
and the star
wheel. The rib ea=tended into the lower recess of the pedaloid base of the
individual container
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to prevent rotation of the container as the capping head drove the cap onto
the upper threaded
neck of the container. By using this construction, a lower support plate
carrying the upstanding
rib, was fixed and did not rotate with the star wheel. The upwardly extending
rib prevented
rotation of the container during the capping operation. This use of a fixed
rib constituted an
improvement over other arrangements for using a lower plate with specially
contoured recesses
to provide interference against rotation of the container by the capping head;
however, it required
a modification of the capping machine and was expensive to retrofit.
Two anti-rotation mechanisms that overcome these past problems are disclosed
in United
States PatentNos. 5,934,042 and 5,816,029. These anti-rotation mechanisms use
a standard wear
plate of the type rotating with the star wheel of a rotary capping machine and
are adapted to
accommodate cylindrical containers with an outer cylindrical periphery and a
pedaloid base with
spaced pads separated by radial recesses extending from a center recess of the
base. In the
capping machine, the containers are moved along a circular path by a star
wheel that has
outwardly protruding pockets supporting the necks of the containers while they
are supported at
the lower position by a rotating wear plate. The wear plate is a flat ring
rotated in unison with
the star wheel about the machine axis so the containers moving along a given
circular path are
carried by and supported on the wear plate. The ring constituting the wear
plate has an upwardly
facing flat surface with a series of container receiving nests movable along
the circular path as
the ring is rotated by the turret of the capping machine. Each of these nests
has an inner area
constituting a flat surface and at least one elongated bar-like abutment
projecting upwardly from
the flat surface of the ring and extending in a direction radial of the inner
area of the nests. In
practice, two or three of the elongated bar-like abutments project radially
outwardly from the
inner area defining the nest onto which a container is supported. These
radially projecting
abutments are faced by an angle defined as 360 /X, wherein X is a number of
pads in the
pedaloid base. The rib extends into the lower recess of the pedaloid base of
the individual
container to prevent rotation of the container as the capping head drives the
cap onto the upper
threaded neck of the container.
Although these prior art capping mechanisms have had excellent success in the
bottling
of carbonated beverages, problems with damage to the base of the plastic
container have resulted
when bottling non-carbonated beverages such as water, fruit drinks and the
like. Most of the
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plastic bottles or containers used in the beverage industry are plastic
containers made from blow
molded polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These plastic containers include
"champagne" type
bases or bases having a plurality of feet to structurally enhance the base of
the plastic bottle or
container. Much of the plastic container design has been directed to the
carbonated beverage
industry. However, the non-carbonated beverage market such as water, sport
drinks, fruit drinks
and the like has continued to grow. It is not uncommon that plastic containers
originally
designed for carbonated beverages are used for non-carbonated beverages.
However, the use of
these plastic containers has been problematic, especially during the bottling
of the non-
carbonated beverage. The gas in a carbonated beverage exerts a force on
interior of the container,
thus resisting the deformation or collapse of the base of the container during
the capping process.
As a result, the base and walls of the plastic container can be made of a
thinner material, which
is a significant cost savings to the manufacturer. The absence of gas in non-
carbonated beverages
has resulted in increased deformation and/or damage of the base of the plastic
container during
the bottling process. In order to address this problem, increased wall
thickness for the side walls
and base of the plastic container has been used. Although the increased wall
thickness of the
plastic container reduces the incidence of deformation and/or damage of the
base of the plastic
container during the bottling process, the increased wall thickness translates
into increase
material costs. Alternatively, plastic containers that include a plastic base
attachment have also
been used to address this problem. However, the use of the plastic base
attachment also increases
the cost of the container. Bottling manufacturers that bottle both carbonated
and non-carbonated
beverages must now maintain additional inventory of various bottle or
container configurations
and thicknesses. In addition, plastic containers that do not have a pedaloid
base could not be
used in a bottling apparatus that had anti-wear plates to prevent rotation of
the container. For
instance, containers having flat bases or champagne type bases were not
prevented from rotation
on such wear plates.
In view of the present state of the art for bottling machines, there is a need
for a bottling
machine that can be used for non-carbonated beverages which resists
deformation and/or damage
to the base and/or body of the plastic beverage container during the bottling
process, and which
can be used to inhibit or prevent rotation of a variety of container designs
during the bottling
and/or capping process. Furthermore, in view of the present state of the art
for plastic beverage
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bottles, there is a need for a plastic beverage container that can be used for
non-carbonated
beverages which resists deformation and/or damage to the base and/or body of
the plastic
beverage container during the bottling process, and which has substantially
the same material
cost as standard plastic bottles used for carbonated beverages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an improved container for non-carbonated beverages that
overcomes the past problems associated with plastic bottles used with non-
carbonated beverages.
The improved container is designed to have a low cost and weight, to be
manufacturable from
a plastic material by molding with minimal plastic material in its walls, to
have excellent stability
in both filled and unfilled conditions, and to have maximal volumes with
minimal heights in
easily handled diameters. The invention will be described with respect to the
containers for non-
carbonated beverages; however, the improved container can be used with non-
carbonated or
carbonated beverages. In addition, the present invention is applicable to
containers for the
bottling of liquids other than beverages (e.g., food products other than
beverages, cleaning
products, automotive products, paint products, etc.). Furthermore, the
container will be described
as being principally made of plastic material; however, the container can be
formed of other
materials (e.g., glass, metal, polymers and/or co-polymers other than plastic,
etc.). The improved
plastic container includes a neck portion, a sidewall portion and a lower
bottom-forming portion.
The body and/or base of the improved plastic container can be formed and/or
configured to
resemble configurations commonly used in prior art plastic bottles for
carbonated and non-
carbonated beverages. In one embodiment of the invention, the sidewall of the
improved plastic
container has a generally cylindrical shape; however, other shapes can be
used. In one aspect of
this embodiment, the sidewall can include one or more ribs to provide
structural rigidity to the
sidewall and/or to form a more aesthetically pleasing container design. In
another and/or
alternative aspect of this embodiment, the sidewall can include a region
having a differing
diameter than other portions of the sidewall to accommodate a label, to
enhance the ability of a
user to grasp the container, to provide structural rigidity to the sidewall
and/or to form a more
aesthetically pleasing container design. In another and/or alternative
embodiment of the
invention, the lower bottom-forming portion of the improved plastic container
can be formed into
a variety of configurations such as, but not limited to, a lower bottom-
forming portion having a
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plurality of feet, a lower portion bottom-forming having a champagne
configuration, a lower
bottom-forming portion having a substantially flat base, and the like. In one
aspect of this
embodiment, the lower bottom-forming portion includes hollow feet-forming
portions and
intervening downwardly convex, smoothly curving bottom segments which can
provide, through
a plastic container bottom section of minimal height, substantially maximal
container volume for
a given container height, a maximal cylindrical sidewall labeling height, and
a lower center of
gravity and wide foot print for greater container stability, when filled and
unfilled, and with
minimal stress concentrations and risk of stress cracking and/or other types
of defects. In one
design of this aspect, the improved plastic container includes a cylindrical
sidewall portion and
a lower bottom-forming portion having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced,
downwardly
convex segments extending downwardly from the cylindrical sidewall and a
plurality of
intervening, circumferentially-spaced, totally convex, hollow foot-forming
portions that extend
radially from the central bottom portion and downwardly from the downwardly
convex segments
to form a clearance for a concave central bottom portion. In another and/or
alternative design
of this aspect, the improved plastic container includes a cylindrical sidewall
portion all about a
central longitudinal axis, a lower bottom-forming portion including a
plurality of hollow
foot-forming portions extending outwardly from the central portion of the
lower bottom-forming
portion to form a plurality of feet, each foot-forming portion including,
between said central
portion of the lower bottom-forming portion and its foot, a bottom clearance-
forming portion
including a compound-curved offset formed by opposing radii of curvature
wherein the
compound-curved offset curving downwardly from said central portion about a
radius of
curvature below the bottom of the lower bottom-forming portion before curving
about a radius
of curvature above the bottom of the lower bottom-forming portion, and a
plurality of smoothly
curved, downwardly convex segments between adjacent pairs of hollow foot-
forming portions,
each of said downwardly convex segments extending upwardly between said
adjacent hollow
foot-forming portions and, generally expanding outwardly at its upper end to
merge into said
cylindrical sidewall portion. In another and/or alternative aspect of this
embodiment, the lower
bottom-forming portion includes a plurality of ribs extending from the
sidewall to a central
portion of the lower bottom-forming portion where the ribs intersect. The
upper curvilinear
surface of the ribs lies on an essentially hemispherical curve in the interior
of the container. In
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one design of this aspect, the lower bottom-forming portion includes a
plurality of uniquely
designed feet which extend along a curved path from the sidewall, have end
walls connected to
adjacent ribs and include a generally horizontal base surface. This
configuration of the lower
bottom-forming portion depicts a pseudo-champagne appearance wherein the feet
contain a
substantially vertical inner surface or lip positioned radially inwardly from
the base surface and
connected to a second inner surface which extends from the substantially
vertical lip to the
central portion of the bottom structure. Thus, the inner surfaces of the feet
define a
pseudo-champagne dome below the central portion and below the hemispherical
bottom contour
defined by the upper rib surfaces. In yet another and/or alternative aspect of
this embodiment,
the lower bottom-forming portion includes an essentially hemispherical curve
in the interior of
the container. This configuration of the lower bottom-forming portion depicts
a champagne
appearance. In still another and/or alternative embodiment of the invention,
the improved plastic
container includes an upper mouth-forming portion adapted to receive a fluid
and a cap to cover
the upper mouth. The design and configuration of the mouth opening can be
generally the same
as used in prior art plastic bottles used for carbonated beverages; however,
it can be different.
In one aspect of this embodiment, the opening in the upper mouth-forming
portion is
substantially circular. In another and/or alternative aspect of this
embodiment, the upper mouth-
forming portion includes one or more threads that are adapted to receive a
cap. The one or more
threads have a configuration that is generally the same as the threads used on
prior art plastic
bottles; however, it can be different. In yet another and/or alternative
embodiment of the
invention, the upper mouth-forming portion includes an anti-rotation flange
adapted to inhibit
or prevent the improved plastic container from rotating when a cap is inserted
onto the upper
mouth-forming portion. In one aspect ofthis embodiment, the anti-rotation
flange is also adapted
to at least partially support the improved plastic container as the improved
plastic container is
conveyed to and/or from the bottle filling location.
In another and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the anti-
rotation flange on
the improved plastic container includes a non-circular configuration that is
at least partially
engagable with one or more components of a capping machine, and wherein upon
at least partial
engagement with the one or more components of the capping machine, the non-
circular
configuration resists or prevents rotation of the improved plastic container
when a cap is inserted
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on the upper mouth-forming portion of the improved plastic container. In prior
bottling
operations, prior art plastic bottles were prevented from rotating during the
capping process by
using a sharp implement to engage a portion of the prior art plastic bottle
(e.g. circular flange,
bottle base, etc.) to prevent rotation of the plastic bottle. One such device
is disclosed in United
States Letters Patent No. 4,939,890. The use of the
sharp implement typically disfigured the prior art plastic bottle and made the
prior art plastic
bottle less aesthetically pleasing to consumers. The sharp implement could
also damage some
prior art plastic bottles during the capping process, thereby resulting in the
bottles having to be
destroyed. Other prior bottling operations used an anti-rotation plate that
engaged the base of the
prior art bottle to prevent rotation of the prior art bottle during capping.
Some of these devices
are disclosed in United States Letters Patent Nos. 4,120,135; 4,143,754;
4,280,612; 5,398485;
5,816,029; 5,826,400; and 5,934,042. . However, for
non-carbonated beverages, the base of the plastic bottle tends to be more
susceptible to
deformation or damage by an anti-rotation plate. This is believed to be the
result of the lack of
carbonation in the fluid in the plastic bottle, which carbonation exerts a
pressure force on the
inside of the plastic bottle during the capping process thereby resisting
deformation or damage
by an anti-rotation plate. Non-carbonated beverages do not have the carbonated
pressure, thus
the prior art plastic bottle is more susceptible to deformation or damage to
the base by an anti-
rotation plate. The use of the anti-rotation flange on the improved plastic
container eliminates
the need for use of a sharp implement and/or use of an anti-rotation plate
during the capping
process. As such, defonnation and/or damage to the base of the improved
plastic container
during the capping process in reduced or eliminated. In one embodiment of the
invention, the
anti-rotation flange includes a plurality of substantially straight surfaces
positioned about at least
a portion of the anti-rotation flange. In one aspect of this embodiment, the
anti-rotation flange
includes an odd number of straight surfaces. In one particular, non-limiting
design, the plurality
of substantially straight surfaces have substantially the same length. In
another and/or alternative
particular, non-limiting design, the plurality of substantially straight
surfaces form a polygonal
shape (e.g. pentagon, heptagon, nonagon, etc.). In another and/or alternative
embodiment of the
invention, the anti-rotation flange includes at least one notch. In one aspect
of this embodiment,
one or more sides of at least one notch is a substantially straight surface.
In one particular, non-
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limiting design, all the sides of at least one notch are formed by
substantially straight surfaces.
In another and/or alternative aspect of this embodiment, one or more sides of
at least one notch
is formed by an arcuate surface. In one particular, non-limiting design, all
the sides of at least
one notch are formed by an arcuate surface. In still another and/or
alternative aspect of this
embodiment, the anti-rotation flange includes a plurality of notches. In one
particular, non-
limiting design, the plurality of notches are substantially symmetrically
oriented about the anti-
rotation flange. In yet another and/or alternative aspect of this embodiment,
the size and/or shape
of two or more of the notches are substantially the same.
In still another and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the anti-
rotation flange
on the improved plastic container includes a non-fully circular configuration
that resists or
prevents the improved plastic container from disengaging from a guide railing
as the improved
plastic container is conveyed to and/or from the bottle filling location.
During the bottling
process, the empty improved plastic containers are conveyed to a bottle
filling location. The
improved plastic containers are generally conveyed to the bottle filling
location by a railing
system wherein the flange on the upper mouth-forming portion of the improved
plastic containers
rests on the top of the railing and/or is at least partially guided by the
railing. The improved
plastic containers are typically moved along the railing to the bottle filling
location by blowing
air on the improved plastic; however, other mechanisms can be used to move the
improved
plastic containers along the rails. After the improved plastic container has
been filled at the
bottle filling location, the flange may be used to convey and/or at least
partially guide the filled
improved plastic container from the bottling location by another rail system.
In prior art plastic
bottles, the flange was circular. The circular flange did not allow the prior
art plastic bottle to
fall through the railing even when the plastic bottle rotated as the plastic
bottle was conveyed
along the railing. The anti-rotation flange on the improved plastic container
is substituted for the
standard fully circular flange on prior art plastic containers. The anti-
rotation flange is
configured to resist or prevent the improved plastic container from
disengaging from or falling
through the rail system as the improved plastic container is conveyed to
and/or from the bottle
filling location. As such, the improved plastic container can be used on
existing plastic bottling
lines without having to modify the conveying system for the improved plastic
container to and/or
from the bottle filling location.
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In yet another and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the anti-
rotation flange
of the improved plastic container includes a non-fully circular configuration
that enables the
improved plastic bottle to be supported at the bottle filling location as a
cap is inserted onto the
mouth of the improved plastic container. During prior capping processes, the
capping machine
exerted a downward force on the cap as the cap was inserted onto the mouth of
the improved
plastic container. Typically, the cap was threaded onto the upper mouth-
forming portion of the
improved plastic container as a downward force was being applied to the cap;
however, other
techniques were used to insert the cap on the improved plastic container. This
downward force
could result in the base of the improved plastic container becoming deformed
and/or damaged
during the capping process. When carbonated beverages were inserted into the
improved plastic
container, the carbonated gas exerted a force on the inside surfaces of the
improved plastic
container that reduced or prevented deformation and/or damage to the base of
the improved
plastic container during the capping process. During the bottling of non-
carbonated beverages,
the lack of carbonated gas resulted in the base of the improved plastic
container being more
susceptible to deformation and/or damage during the capping process. Some
bottle manufactures
attempted to overcome this problem by inserting a protective cap on the base
of prior art plastic
bottles. Although the protective cap was effective in reducing the incidence
of deformation
and/or damage to the base of these prior art plastic bottles during the
capping process, the use of
the cap increased material costs of the plastic bottle and typically required
some modification to
the bottling line in order to properly convey the plastic bottle to andlor
from the bottle filling
location. In one embodiment, the anti-rotation flange is designed such that a
support plate on the
capping machine can be at least partially inserted under the anti-rotation
flange during the
capping process such that the downward force applied to the cap during the
capping process is
partially or fully countered by the support plate. As a result, a reduced
amount of force is exerted
on the base of the improved plastic container during the capping process which
results in the
reduction or elimination of deformation and/or damage to the base of the
improved plastic
container. In one aspect of this embodiment, the support plate is positioned
such that when the
anti-rotation flange is supported by the support plate, the base of the
improved plastic container
is suspended as the cap is at least partially inserted on the mouth of the
improved plastic
container. As such, prior art anti-rotation wear plates are not required. In
one particular design,
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the support plate includes a side face that at least partially engages one or
more side surfaces of
the anti-rotation flange so as to at least partially resist rotation of the
improved plastic container
while the cap is at least partially inserted on the improved plastic
container.
In a further and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the present
invention
provides an improved device and/or method for preventing rotation of a
container of the type
having a body with a flange below a neck on the top of the container. The
invention is
particularly applicable for use with a container having a generally
cylindrical body with a flange
below a threaded neck on the top of the container. The invention is
particularly applicable to the
beverage industry, and more applicable to the non-carbonated beverage
industry; however, the
invention is equally applicable to the carbonated beverage industry. In
addition, the present
invention is applicable to the bottling of liquids other than beverages in
containers (e.g. food
products other than beverages, cleaning products, automotive products, paint
products, etc.). In
accordance with the present invention, there is provided a bottle support
plate, that at least
partially supports the container at the flange below the neck of the container
during the capping
process. The bottle support plate is designed to at least partially counter
the axially downward
force exerted on the container when the capping machine exerts a downward
force on the top of
the container as the cap is being applied to the container. The counteractive
effect of the bottle
support plate results in a reduction or elimination of compressive forces
exerted on the body
and/or base of the container. As a result, damage to the base and/or body of
the container is
reduced or eliminated during the capping process. The support plate can also
or alternatively be
designed to at least partially counter the axially downward force exerted on
the container when
the container is at least partially filled with a fluid. Depending on the flow
rate of the fluid into
the container, the viscosity of the fluid, and/or the temperature of the
fluid, the fluid can cause
damage to the base of the container during the filling process. The bottle
support plate can
reduce or eliminate such damage to the base of the container during the
filling process by
partially or fully supporting the container such that the base of the
container does not bear the full
load or force of the fluid during the filling process. The bottle support
plate can be made from
a number of different materials that are resistant to wear and which can at
least partially support
the weight of the container during the capping and/or filling process. Such
materials include, but
are not limited to, metal (e.g. stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), plastics,
fiberglass, rubber, etc.
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In another and/or altemative aspect of the present invention, the bottle
support plate is
used to partially or fully support plastic containers; however, other types of
containers can be
used such as, but not limited to, glass containers, metal containers, and the
like. Blow-molded
plastic containers for handling liquids at elevated pressures are known and
have found inereasing
acceptance. Such containers are accepted particularly in the beverage industry
as disposable
containers for use with effervescent or carbonated beverages, especially
carbonated soft drinks.
These plastic containers can reliably contain carbonated beverages generating
internal pressures
as high as 100 psi or more, and can be inexpensively manufactured. Typically,
these plastic
containers have a cylindrical shape which reliably contain carbonated beverage
products, can be
easily handled, can be inexpensively manufactured, and have stability when
filled and unfilled.
Such containers have most frequently been manufactured from plastic materials
such as
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by, for example, blow molding a portion of
PET into a mold
formed in the shape of the container. The biaxial expansion of PET by blow
molding imparts
rigidity and strength to the formed PET material, and blow molded PET can
provide
economically acceptable wall thicknesses, with clarity in relatively intricate
designs, sufficient
strength to contain pressures up to 100 psi and more, and resistance to gas
passage that may
deplete contained beverages of their carbonation. Several of these plastic
bottles- are disclosed
inUnited States PatentNos. 4,120,135; 4,978,015; 4,939,890; 5,398,485;
5,603,423; 5,816,029;
5,826,400; 5,934,024; and 6,276,546.
These patents illustrate some examples of the type and shape of bottles that
can be used
in the present invention. As can be appreciated, other types of plastic can be
used to form the
plastic container. As can further be appreciated, these plastic containers and
others can be used
to contain fluids other than beverages (e.g., food products other than
beverages, cleaning
products, automotive products, paint products, etc.). Many of these plastic
containers are
designed for use in the carbonated bottle industry. It is not uncommon that
plastic containers
originally designed for carbonated beverages are used for non-carbonated
beverages. However,
the use of these plastic containers has been problematic, especially during
the bottling of the non-
carbonated beverage. The gas in a carbonated beverage exerts a force on the
interior of the
container, thus resisting the deformation or collapse of the base of the
container during the
capping of the container. As a result, the base and walls of the plastic
container can be made of
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a thinner material, which is a significant cost savings to the manufacturer.
The absence of gas
in non-carbonated beverages has resulted in increased deformation and/or
damage of the base of
the plastic container during the bottling process. In order to address this
problem, increased wall
thickness for the sidewalls and base of the plastic container has been used.
Although the
increased wall thickness of the plastic container reduces the incidence of
deformation and/or
damage of the base of the plastic container during the bottling process, the
increased wall
thickness translates into increased material costs. Plastic containers that
include a plastic base
attachment have also been used to address this problem. However, the use of
the plastic base
attachment also increases the cost of the container. Bottling manufacturers
that bottle both
carbonated and non-carbonated beverages typically must maintain additional
inventory of various
container configurations and thicknesses for bottling various types of
beverages. The use of the
bottle support plate of the present invention overcomes the need to have
different types of plastic
containers for bottling different types of beverages. As a result, the plastic
container can be
designed to have a low cost and weight, to be manufacturable from a plastic
material by molding
with minimal plastic material in its walls, to have excellent stability in
both filled and unfilled
conditions, and to have maximal volumes with minimal heights in easily handled
diameters. The
plastic container includes a neck portion, a sidewall portion and a lower
bottom-forming portion.
The body and/or base of the plastic container can be formed and/or configured
to resemble
configurations commonly used in prior art plastic bottles for carbonated and
non-carbonated
beverages. In one embodiment of the invention, the sidewall of the plastic
container has a
generally cylindrical shape; however, other shapes can be used. In one aspect
of this
embodiment, the sidewall can include one or more ribs to provide structural
rigidity to the
sidewall and/or to form a more aesthetically pleasing container design. In
another and/or
alternative aspect of this embodiment, the sidewall can include a region
having a differing
diameter than other portions of the sidewall to accommodate a label, to
enhance the ability of a
user to grasp the plastic container, to provide structural rigidity to the
sidewall and/or to form a
more aesthetically pleasing plastic container design. In another and/or
alternative embodiment
of the invention, the lower bottom-forming portion of the plastic container
can be formed into
a variety of configurations such as, but not limited to, a lower bottom-
forming portion having a
plurality of feet, a lower portion bottom-forming having a champagne
configuration, a lower
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bottom-forming portion having a substantially flat base, and the like. In one
aspect of this
embodiment, the lower bottom-fonning portion includes hollow feet-forming
portions and
intervening downwardly convex, smoothly curving bottom segments which can
provide, through
a plastic container bottom section of minimal height, substantially maximal
container volume for
a given container height, a maximal cylindrical sidewall labeling height, and
a lower center of
gravity and wide foot print for greater container stability, when filled and
unfilled, and with
minimal stress concentrations and risk of stress cracking and/or other types
of defects. In one
design of this aspect, the plastic container includes a cylindrical sidewall
portion and a lower
bottom-forming portion having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced,
downwardly convex
segments extending downwardly from the cylindrical sidewall and a plurality of
intervening,
circumferentially-spaced, totally convex, hollow foot-forming portions that
extend radially from
the central bottom portion and downwardly from the downwardly convex segments
to form a
clearance for a concave central bottom portion. In another and/or alternative
design of this
aspect, the plastic container includes a cylindrical sidewall portion all
about a central longitudinal
axis, a lower bottom-forming portion including a plurality of hollow foot-
forming portions
extending outwardly from the central portion of the lower bottom-forming
portion to form a
plurality of feet, each foot-forming portion including, between the central
portion of the lower
bottom-forming portion and its foot, a bottom clearance-forming portion
including a
compound-curved offset forrned by opposing radii of curvature wherein the
compound-curved
offset curving downwardly from the central portion about a radius of curvature
below the bottom
of the lower bottom-forming portion before curving about a radius of curvature
above the bottom
of the lower bottom-forming portion, and a plurality of smoothly curved,
downwardly convex
segments between adjacent pairs of hollow foot-forming portions, each of the
downwardly
convex segments extending upwardly between the adjacent hollow foot-forming
portions and,
generally expanding outwardly at its upper end to merge into the cylindrical
sidewall portion.
In another and/or alternative aspect of this embodiment, the lower bottom-
forming portion
includes a plurality of ribs extending from the sidewall to a central portion
of the lower
bottom-forming portion where the ribs intersect. The upper curvilinear surface
of the ribs lies
on an essentially hemispherical curve in the interior of the container. In one
design of this aspect,
the lower bottom-forming portion includes a plurality of uniquely designed
feet which extend
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along a curved path from the sidewall, have end walls connected to adjacent
ribs and include a
generally horizontal base surface. This configuration of the lower bottom-
forming portion
depicts a pseudo-champagne appearance wherein the feet contain a substantially
vertical inner
surface or lip positioned radially inwardly from the base surface and
connected to a second inner
surface which extends from the substantially vertical lip to the central
portion of the bottom
structure. Thus, the inner surfaces of the feet define a pseudo-champagne dome
below the central
portion and below the hemispherical bottom contour defined by the upper rib
surfaces. In yet
another and/or alternative aspect of this embodiment, the lower bottom-forming
portion includes
an essentially hemispherical curve in the interior of the container. This
configuration of the
lower bottom-forming portion depicts a champagne appearance. In still another
and/or
alternative embodiment of the invention, the plastic container includes an
upper mouth-forming
portion adapted to receive a fluid and a cap to cover the upper mouth. The
design and
configuration of the mouth opening can be generally the same as used in prior
art plastic bottles
used for carbonated beverages; however, it can be different. In one aspect of
this embodiment,
the opening in the upper mouth-forming portion is substantially circular. In
another and/or
alternative aspect of this embodiment, the upper mouth-forming portion
includes one or more
threads that are adapted to receive a cap. The one or more threads have a
configuration that is
generally the same as the threads used on prior art plastic bottles; however,
it can be different.
In yet another and/or alternative embodiment of the invention, the upper mouth-
forming portion
includes an anti-rotation flange adapted to inhibit or prevent the plastic
container from rotating
when the anti-rotation flange at least partially engages the bottle support
plate and a cap is
inserted onto the upper mouth-forming portion of the plastic bottle.
In still another and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the
bottle support plate
at least partially supports the container during the capping and/or fluid
filling process, thereby
at least partially countering the downward force being applied to the top of
the container during
the capping and/or fluid filling process. In one embodiment, the bottle
support plate fully
supports the container during the capping process, thereby countering most, if
not all, of the
downward force being applied to the top of the container during the capping
process. In another
and/or alternative embodiment of the invention, the bottle support plate fully
supports the
container during the liquid filling process, thereby countering most, if not
all, of the downward
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force being applied to the container during the fluid filling process. In
still another and/or
alternative embodiment of the invention, the bottle support plate is designed
so as to receive at
least a portion of the container below the anti-rotation flange of the
container such that at least
a portion of the bottom surface of the anti-rotation flange engages a support
ledge of the bottle
support plate when the bottle support plate is at least partially supporting
the container. In one
aspect of this embodiment, the support ledge of the bottle support plate
includes a side opening
adapted to at least partially receive a portion of the container below the
anti-rotation flange. In
one particular non-limiting design, the opening in the support ledge includes
a generally C-
shaped configuration; however, other shapes can be used. The C-shaped
configuration is
generally used for containers having a generally circular portion beneath the
anti-rotation flange
of the container. As, can be appreciated, when the shape of the container
beneath the anti-rotation
flange is not generally circular, other configurations can be used for the
support ledge of the
bottle support plate to closely match such other shapes. In another and/or
alternative non-
limiting design, the C-shaped configuration is sized so as to inhibit or
prevent the anti-rotation
flange of the container from passing through the support ledge when the
container is being filled
and/or capped. In still another and/or alternative non-limiting design, the
opening in the support
ledge is shaped and sized to support no more that about 50-55% of the under
side of the outer
perimeter of the anti-rotation flange of the container when the container is
being at least partially
supported by the support ledge during the filling and/or capping process.
Typically, the opening
in the support ledge is shaped and sized to support no more that about 49% of
the under side of
the outer perimeter of the anti-rotation flange of the container.
In yet another and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the bottle
support plate
includes an anti-rotation wall that is adapted to at least partially engage
the outer perimeter of the
anti-rotation flange of the container to inhibit or prevent the container from
rotating when a cap
is applied to the mouth of the container during the capping process. The anti-
rotation wall
effectively inhibits or prevents rotation of the container when the anti-
rotation wall engages a
container that has a non-circular anti-rotation flange. In prior bottling
operations, prior art plastic
bottles were prevented from rotating during the capping process by using a
sharp implement to
engage a portion of the prior art plastic bottle (e.g. circular flange, bottle
base, etc.) to prevent
rotation of the plastic bottle. The use of the sharp implement typically
disfigured the prior art
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plastic bottles and made the prior art plastic bottles less aesthetically
pleasing to consumers. The
sharp implement also damaged some prior art plastic bottles during the capping
process, thereby
resulting in the bottles having to be destroyed. Other prior bottling
operations used an anti-
rotation plate that engaged the base of the prior art plastic bottle to
prevent rotation of the prior
art plastic bottle during capping. However, for non-carbonated beverages, the
base of the plastic
bottle tended to be more susceptible to deformation or damage by an anti-
rotation plate. This is
believed to be the result of the lack of carbonation in the fluid in the
plastic bottle, which
carbonation exerts a pressure force on the inside of the plastic bottle during
the capping process,
thereby resisting deformation or damage by an anti-rotation plate. Non-
carbonated beverages do
not have the carbonated pressure, thus the prior art plastic bottle is more
susceptible to
deformation or damage to the base by an anti-rotation plate. The use of the
anti-rotation flange
on the modified plastic container eliminates the need for use of a sharp
implement and/or use of
an anti-rotation plate during the capping process. As such, deformation and/or
damage to the
modified plastic container during the capping process is reduced or
eliminated. In one
embodiment of the invention, the bottle support plate includes an anti-
rotation wall that at least
partially mates with the non-circular anti-rotation flange of the container.
In one embodiment
of the invention, the anti-rotation wall of the bottle support plate is
configured to at least partially
mate with an anti-rotation flange that includes a plurality of substantially
straight surfaces
positioned about at least a portion of the anti-rotation flange. In one aspect
of this embodiment,
the anti-rotation wall of the bottle support plate is configured to at least
partially mate with an
anti-rotation flange that includes an odd number of straight surfaces. In one
particular, non-
limiting design, the anti-rotation wall of the bottle support plate is
configured to at least partially
mate with an anti-rotation flange having a plurality of substantially straight
surfaces which have
substantially the same length. In another and/or alternative particular, non-
limiting design, the
anti-rotation wall of the bottle support plate is configured to at least
partially mate with an anti-
rotation flange having a plurality of substantially straight surfaces that
form a polygonal shape
(e.g. pentagon, heptagon, nonagon, etc.). In another and/or alternative
embodiment of the
invention, the anti-rotation wall of the bottle support plate is configured to
at least partially mate
with an anti-rotation flange that includes at least one notch. In one aspect
of this embodiment,
the anti-rotation wall of the bottle support plate is configured to at least
partially mate with an
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anti-rotation flange having one or more sides of at least one notch having a
substantially straight
surface. In one particular, non-limiting design, the anti-rotation wall of the
bottle support plate
is configured to at least partially mate with an anti-rotation flange having
all the sides of at least
one notch that are formed by substantially straight surfaces. In another
and/or alternative aspect
of this embodiment, the anti-rotation wall of the bottle support plate is
configured to at least
partially mate with an anti-rotation flange having one or more sides of at
least one notch that is
formed by an arcuate surface. In one particular, non-limiting design, the anti-
rotation wall of the
bottle support plate is configured to at least partially mate with an anti-
rotation flange having all
the sides of at least one notch formed by an arcuate surface. In still another
and/or alternative
aspect of this embodiment, the anti-rotation wall of the bottle support plate
is configured to at
least partially mate with an anti-rotation flange that includes a plurality of
notches. In one
particular, non-limiting design, the anti-rotation wall of the bottle support
plate is configured to
at least partially mate with an anti-rotation flange having a plurality of
notches that are
substantially symmetrically oriented about the anti-rotation flange. In yet
another and/or
alternative aspect of this embodiment, the anti-rotation wall of the bottle
support plate is
configured to at least partially mate with an anti-rotation flange wherein the
size and/or shape of
two or more of the notches are substantially the same. In yet another and/or
alternative
embodiment of the invention, the anti-rotation wall is shaped and sized to
engage no more that
about 50-55% of the outer perimeter of the anti-rotation flange of the
container when the
container is being at least partially supported by the support ledge of the
bottle support plate
during the filling and/or capping process. Typically, the anti-rotation wall
is shaped and sized
to engage no more that about 49% of the outer perimeter of the anti-rotation
flange of the
container. As can be appreciated, the anti-rotation wall can be shaped and
sized to engage more
that 55% of the outer perimeter of the anti-rotation flange of the container.
In still yet another and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the
bottle support
plate includes a support ledge and an anti-rotation wall that partially or
fully counter the
downward force applied to the upper portion of the container during the
capping process. During
prior capping processes, the capping machine exerted a downward force on the
cap as the cap
was inserted onto the mouth of the container. Typically, the cap was threaded
onto the upper
mouth-forming portion of the container as a downward force was being applied
to the cap;
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however, other techniques were used to insert the cap on the container. This
downward force
could result in the base of the container becoming deformed and/or damaged
during the capping
process. When carbonated beverages were inserted into the container, the
carbonated gas exerted
a force on the inside surfaces of the container that reduced or prevented
deformation and/or
damage to the base of the container during the capping process. During the
bottling of non-
carbonated beverages, the lack of carbonated gas resulted in the base of the
container being more
susceptible to deformation and/or damage during the capping process. Some
bottle manufactures
attempted to overcome this problem by inserting a protective cap on the base
of prior art plastic
bottles. Although the protective cap was effective in reducing the incidence
of deformation
and/or damage to the base of these container during the capping process, the
use of the cap
increased material costs of the container and typically required some
modification to the bottling
line in order to properly convey the container to and/or from the container
filling location. In one
embodiment, the bottle support plate is designed to at least partially support
the container at
and/or below the anti-rotation flange of the container during the capping
process, 'such that the
downward force applied to the cap during the capping process is partially or
fully countered by
the bottle support plate. As a result, a reduced amount of force is exerted on
the base of the
container during the capping process which results in the reduction or
elimination of deformation
and/or damage to the base of the container. In one aspect of this embodiment,
the bottle support
plate is positioned such that when the anti-rotation flange is supported by
the support plate, the
base of the container is suspended as the cap is at least partially inserted
on the mouth of the
container. As such, prior art anti-rotation wear plates are not required.
In a fiuther and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the bottle
support plate
includes an anti-rotation wall that extends upwardly from the support ledge of
the bottle support
plate. In one embodiment of the invention, the front surface of the anti-
rotation wall is
substantially perpendicular to at least a portion of the support ledge. In
another and/or alternative
embodiment of the invention, at least a portion of the front surface of the
anti-rotation wall is
non-perpendicular to at least a portion of the support ledge. In one aspect of
this embodiment,
at least a portion of the front surface of the anti-rotation wall forms an
angle with at least a
portion of the support ledge that is between about 90-130 , and more typically
about 90-110 ,
and even more typically about 95-105 . The angling of the anti-rotation wall
facilitates in the
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proper positioning of the anti-rotation flange of the container on the bottle
support plate. In
addition, the angling of the anti-rotation wall facilitates in the removal of
the anti-rotation flange
of the container from the bottle support plate after the cap has been inserted
onto the container.
In another and/or alternative embodiment of the invention, the height of the
anti-rotation wall
from the support ledge is substantially uniform. In still another and/or
alternative embodiment
of the invention, the height of the anti-rotation wall from the support ledge
at least partially
varies. In yet another and/or alternative embodiment of the invention, the
anti-rotation wall is
at least partially spaced from at least a portion of the front edge of the
support ledge. In one
aspect of this embodiment, the width of the support ledge defined between the
front edge of the
support ledge and the anti-rotation wall at least partially varies. In another
and/or alternative
aspect of this embodiment, the width of the support ledge defined between the
front edge of the
support ledge and the anti-rotation wall is substantially uniform.
In still a further and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the
bottle support plate
includes a support ledge that is recessed from the top surface of the bottle
support plate. The
recess provides a space to allow the capping mechanism to insert a cap on the
container without
having to contact the bottle support plate. As can be appreciated, the recess
in the bottle support
plate is not required. In one embodiment, the recess has a semi-circular shape
to accommodate
the shape of the capping mechanism. As can be appreciated, other shapes of the
recess can be
used.
In yet a further and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the
bottle support plate
is removably connected to the bottling and/or capping mechanism. Bottling
machines commonly
include a rotatable star wheel and a rear container guide assembly spaced
radially outwardly from
the rotatable star wheel to retain the container within the rotatable star
wheel. The rotatable star
wheel typically includes a hub secured to a vertically extending drive shaft
which rotates about
a drive shaft axis. Extending radially outwardly from the hub are typically
one or more bottle
support assemblies. Each bottle support assembly is mounted on the star wheel.
The bottle
support plate is designed to be removably connected to one or more of the
bottle support
assemblies. The ability to remove the bottle support plate from the bottle
support assembly
results in 1) easier repair and/or replacement of a damaged bottle support
plate, 2) less down time
for the repair and/or replacement of a damaged bottle support plate, and/or 3)
the ability to
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quickly and easily change out one or more bottle support plates to accommodate
a certain type
of container. In one embodiment, the bottle support plate is connected to
the,bottle support
assembly by use of, but not limited to, bolts, screws, pins, adhesives,
clamps, latches, nails, and
the like. As can be appreciated, the bottle support plate can be essentially
irremovably connected
to the bottle support assembly. If such a connection is desired, it can be
accomplished by a
variety of means such as, but not limited to, welding, soldering, bolts,
screws, pins, rivets,
adhesives, clamps, latches, nails, and the like.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved
plastic container
that resists deformation and/or damage during the capping and/or filling of
the improved plastic
container with a fluid.
Another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide an
improved
plastic container that can be filled with non-carbonated fluids and/or
carbonated fluids.
Yet another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide
an improved
plastic container that includes an anti-rotation flange.
Still another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide
an improved
plastic container that can be used in standard bottling facilities.
A further and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide a
bottling and/or
capping mechanism that reduces or prevents damage to a container during the
capping and/or
filling of the container.
Another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide a
bottling and/or
capping mechanism that includes a bottle support plate that at least partially
engages an anti-
rotation flange of a container, thereby inhibiting or preventing deformation
and/or damage to the
container during the capping and/or filling of the container.
Yet another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide a
bottling
and/or capping mechanism that can be used to fill and cap containers with non-
carbonated fluids
and/or carbonated fluids.
Still another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide
a bottling
and/or capping mechanism that includes a removable bottle support plate.
Still yet another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to
provide a bottle
support plate that can be used on existing bottling and/or capping mechanisms.
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A further and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide a
mechanism for
inhibiting or preventing container rotation in a bottling and/or capping
machine which is operable
on either plastic or glass containers.
Still a further and/or alternative object of the present invention is to
provide an
arrangement for preventing container rotation in a bottling and/or capping
machine in which the
containers are not marked or scored in any deleterious manner.
Yet a fu.rther and/or alternative object of the present invention is to
provide an
anti-rotation device in a bottling and/or capping machine which does not cause
failure of the
container.
Still yet a further and/or alternative object of the present invention is to
provide an
economical, easily replaceable mechanism for preventing container rotation in
a bottling and/or
capping machine.
These and other advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art
upon the
reading and following of this description taken together with the accompanied
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference may now be made to the drawings, which illustrate various
embodiments that
the invention may take in physical form and in certain parts and arrangements
of parts wherein:
. FIGURE 1 is a partial plan view of a bottling machine employing the rear
container guide
assembly of the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;
FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view of bottle support plate and guide rail in
accordance with
the present invention;
FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional elevation view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;
FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the support plate, the anti-
rotation
flange of a bottle and the cap for the bottle;
FIGURES 6A and 6B are partial plan views of the position of the anti-rotation
flange of
a bottle in the support plate;
FIGURE 7 is a partial plan view of the anti-rotation flange of two bottle
being conveyed
along a guide rail;
FIGURES 8A-8F are plan views of various non-limiting configurations of the
anti-
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rotation flange;
FIGURE 9 is a partial plan view of the base of a bottle that is damaged as a
cap is inserted
on the bottle; and,
FIGURE 10 is a partial plan view of the base of a bottle that is damaged
during the filling
and/or capping of the bottle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showing is for the purpose of
illustrating
preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for the purpose of
limiting the same,
FIGURES 1 and 2 show various portions of what is defmed as a bottling machine
10. The
bottling machine as defined herein includes the filling and/or the capping
bottling equipment.
The filling equipment is that which fills containers with product, such as,
but not limited to, a
non-carbonated beverage. The capping equipment is that which applies a cap,
crown or other
closure to the container.
Bottling machine 10 includes a rotatable star wheel 20 and a rear container
guide
assembly 40 spaced radially outwardly from rotatable star wheel 20 for
retaining the bottles 160
within rotatable star wheel 20. Depending upon the application of bottling
machine 10, an
additional star wheel (not shown) or conveyor (not shown) is mated to
rotatable star wheel 20
at a fixed entry point (not shown) on rotatable star wheel 20. Bottles 160 are
rotated out of
rotatable star wheel 20 at a fixed exit point 42 to an outfeed star wheel (not
shown) or conveyor
(not shown) leading to further processing or handling equipment.
FIGURE 2 illustrates a capping machine having capper head 150 for placing a
closure
180 on bottle 160. Rotatable star wheel 20 essentially comprises a hub 22
secured to a vertically
extending drive shaft 24 which rotates about a drive shaft axis 26.
Extending radially outwardly from hub 22 are a plurality of bottle support
assemblies 30.
As shown, each of bottle support assemblies 30 is mounted on star wheel 20 at
a bottle support
station 32. Each of bottle support assemblies 30 is arranged about the
periphery 28 of rotatable
star wheel 20, which is generally circular. Each bottle support assembly 30 is
removable from
star wheel 20 through other embodiments, known in the industry.
Rear container guide 40 includes an annular rear neck guide 44 secured in a
stationary
manner by bolts 46 to a frame member 48. Rear neck guide 44 has a top surface
50, a bottom
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surface 52 and an inclined edge surface 54 which extends radially outwardly
from top surface 50
to bottom surface 52. An annular neck block 56 is secured by fasteners 58 to
top surface 50 of
rear neck guide 44. Neck block 56 has a top surface 60 which, as shown in
FIGURE 2, is
adapted to be in contact with the underside 172 of anti-rotation flange 170 of
bottle 160. Neck
block 56 also includes an inclined edge surface 62 extending radially outward
from top surface
60. Fixed rear guide 40 and specifically annular neck block 56 functions to
support anti-rotation
flange 170 and bottle 160 by retaining bottle 160 on rotatable star whee120.
Star whee120 extends radially outwardly from hub 22 and has an annular neck
portion
34 secured at its inner end to hub 22. Specifically, a neck portion top
surface 36 extends radially
outwardly to a neck portion edge surface 3 8 which is generally coaxial with
drive shaft axis 26.
Neck portion edge surface 38 terminates at a support plate portion 70 having a
support plate top
surface 72 which also extends radially outward from hub 22 and is generally
parallel to top
surface 36. Support plate top surface 72 extends radially outwardly to a
support plate edge
surface 74 which then extends downwardly to a ledge plate portion 76 having a
ledge plate top
surface 78 parallel to both of top surfaces 36 and 72. Top surface 78 extends
radially outwardly
to periphery 28 of star whee120.
As shown, star wheel 20 is used on large capacity bottling machines. This
means that
periphery 28 is circular and shaft 24 is fitted with a single hub 22 and star
wheel 20 can be used
with many different sizes of bottles run on the same bottling line. Bottle
support assemblies 30
for each size bottle are provided and are also capable of being removed and
replaced for different
size bottle applications. It will be appreciated that for smaller capacity
machines or for different
applications within the same bottling line, a star wheel may instead comprise
a hub and star
wheel portion having individual pockets within the star wheel itself that
serve a function similar
to bottle support assembly 30. In such an instance, individual hubs are
designed and removable
when it is desired to convert a line to different size bottles. It will be
appreciated that in this
instance, star wheel 20 is split into two halves 20A and 20B to permit
installation and repair
without disturbing, for instance, capper head 150 shown schematically in
FIGURE 2, and further
to allow ease of assembly and disassembly by reducing the weight of individual
pieces. Such
difference in a hub does not affect the present invention.
Bottle support assemblies 30 comprise three distinct pieces including a neck
support
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bracket 80, a neck guide 82 and a bottom body guide 84. Neck support bracket
80 is attached
to star wheel 20 with neck guide 82 attached to a top surface 86 of neck
support bracket 80 and
bottom body guide 84 attached to guide support 88 of neck support bracket 80.
Neck guide 82 includes a vertical standard 90 extending upwardly from top
surface 86
and a bracket 92 extending perpendicular from vertical standard 90 radially
outwardly. Bracket
92 includes a top surface 94, a bottom surface 96 and an inclined edge surface
98 which extends
radially outwardly from top surface 94 to bottom surface 96. The top surface
includes four
openings 100. Anti-rotation plate or bottle support plate 102 is secured to
top surface 94 of
bracket 92 by hex-screws 104 and pins 106. Anti-rotation plate 102 includes
two openings 108
for screws 104 and two openings 110 for pins 106, which are used to secure and
position the anti-
rotation plate to bracket 92. One or more anti-rotation plates can be removed
from bracket 92
and replaced by simply removing the screws. As can be appreciated, other means
for connecting
the anti-rotation plate to the bracket in a removable or non-removable manner
can be used (e.g.
bolts, nails, clips, 'welding, soldering, rivets, adhesive, clamps, and/or the
like).
Referring now to FIGURES 3-5, anti-rotation plate 102 has a top surface :112
and a
bottom surface 114. Each anti-rotation plate includes a pocket 116 that is
adapted to receive anti-
rotation flange 170 of bottle 160. As shown in FIGURE 3, the width of the anti-
rotation plate
is greater at the end including the pocket than at the end including openings
108. The narrowing
of the anti-rotation plate at the connection end facilitates connecting and
orienting multiple anti-
rotation plates on bracket 92. As can be appreciated, other configurations of
the anti-rotation
plate can be used to facilitate in connecting and orienting multiple anti-
rotation plates on bracket
92.
The top surface of the anti-rotation plate includes a recessed region 118 that
surrounds
pocket 116. The top surface 120 of recessed region 118 generally lies in the
same plane as top
surface 112. End wall 122 is generally perpendicular to top surfaces 112 and
120. As can be
appreciated, end wall 122 can be oriented non-perpendicular to top surface
120. The recessed
region provides clearance for capper head 150 during the capping process. As
can be
appreciated, the recessed region can be eliminated from the anti-rotation
plate.
Pocket 116 includes a support ledge 124 that is adapted to partially or fully
support bottle
160 during the bottling and/or capping process. As such, deformation and/or
damage to the base
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of the bottle, such as plastic bottles, during the bottling and/or capping
process in reduced or
eliminated. Such damage to prior bottles is disclosed in FIGURES 9 and 10. As
illustrated in
FIGURES 9 and 7, bottle 160 includes a pedaloid base configuration 190 that
includes a plurality
of diverging recesses 196 forming a plurality of legs 198. The base of bottle
160 rests on
receiving nests N on a standard wear plate 200. The wear plate has an upper
flat surface 202 and
an outer periphery 204. Each of the individual nests N has an inner area-230
constituting a
portion of flat surface 202 and having a center aligned with center of bottle
1,60 where the bottle
rests upon its individual nest N. At least one bar-like abutment 240 extends
radially outward
from the center of nest N. If more than one abutment is positioned on the
nest, the abutments are
typically spaced from one another by an angle determined by the formula 360
/X, wherein X is
the number of recesses on the base of bottle 160. During the bottling and/or
capping process,
bottle 160 is positioned onto nest N such that the rod-like abutments fit into
the recesses of the
base of bottle 160 as shown in FIGUR.ES 9 and 10. The abutments thereafter
prevent rotation
of the bottle during the bottling aud/or capping process. The configuration of
such a wear plate
and nest and the positioning of the bottles in such nests is described in
detail in United States
Patent No. 5,934,042. As illustrated in FIGURE 9,
the abutments inhibit or prevent the base of bottle 160 from rotating in the
direction of the arrow
during the capping process. However, damage to the bottle periodically
occurred, especially
when bottliuig non-carbonated beverages, during the capping processes. As
shown in FIGURE
9, the side of bottle 160 is damaged by being twisted thus resulting in a
collapsed section 210 and
a bulging section 212. The twisted bottle was caused by the rotational force
applied to the top
of the bottle by the capping machine as indicated by the arrow and the
invnobility of the base of
the bottle cased by the abutments in the wear plate. Referring now to FIGURE
10, bottle 160 is
shown to be damaged by the downward force as indicated by the arrow that is
being applied to
the top of the bottle during the bottling and/or capping process. The damage
to the bottle is
illustrated by the bulging section 214 about the perimeter of the side of the
bottle. During the
capping process, the capper exerts a downward force on the bottle during the
insertion of the cap
on the bottle. Top surface 202 of the wear plate prevents the bottle from
moving downward, thus
the downward force is absorbed by the bottle, thus resulting in periodic
damage to the bottle as
exemplified in FIGURE 10.
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As set forth above, pocket 116 is adapted to partially or fully support bottle
160 during
the capping process, thus inhibiting or preventing deformation and/or damage
to bottle, such as
plastic bottles, during the bottling and/or capping process. Support ledge 124
includes a top
surface 125 which generally lies in the same plane as top surface 112. Support
ledge 124 is
designed to receive underside 172 of anti-rotation flange 170 of bottle 160.
The front face 126
of the support ledge is semi-circular in configuration and encompasses an
angle of up to about
180 . The semi-circular configuration of the front face is adapted to receive
the circular portion
of the neck of the bottle located below the anti-rotation flange. As can be
appreciated, the shape
of the front face can be other than semi-circular. Extending upwardly from the
support ledge and
to the top surface of the recessed region is anti-rotation wall 128. The plane
of the anti-rotation
wall is generally perpendicular to top surface 120 and support ledge 124. As
can be appreciated,
the plane of the anti-rotation wall can be oriented so as to form an angle of
between about 90-
130 between the anti-rotation wall and support ledge 124. The top portion of
the anti-rotation
wall can abruptly converge with top surface 120 of recessed region 118, or
have a smoother
transition in the form of a curved surface.
Anti-rotation wall 128 includes four walls 130, 132, 134, 136 that are
generally straight.
Walls 132 and 134 have generallythe same length, as do walls 130 and 136. The
angle between
the walls 'is about 140-143 . Such an angle accommodates a anti-rotation
flange on the bottle
having seven equally spaced sides (e.g. heptagon). As can be appreciated, the
configuration of
the anti-rotation wall can include more or less walls, and/or the one or more
walls can have a
non-straight surface. The configuration of the anti-rotation wall is selected
so as to inhibit or
prevent rotation of the anti-rotation flange of the bottle during the capping
process when the anti-
rotation flange is positioned in pocket 116.
When the anti-rotation flange of the bottle is positioned in pocket 116 of the
anti-rotation
plate, top surface 60 of neck block 56 is positioned at an area diametrically
opposed to pocket
116. Contact with top surface 60 coacts with anti-rotation plate 102 and
functions to maintain
bottle 160 within pocket 116 as star wheel 20 rotates. Pocket 116 inhibits or
prevents rotation
of bottle 160 when a closure 180 is tightened thereon by capper head 150.
In one particular non-limiting configuration of the pocket of the anti-
rotation plate, the
anti-rotation plate is made of stainless steel (e.g. 304, 316, etc.). As can
be appreciated, the anti-
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rotation plate can be made of or include other materials. Typically the anti-
rotation plate is
electro-polished. The thickness of the anti-rotation plate is about 0.1875
inch. As can be
appreciated, other thicknesses can be used. Openings 108 have a diameter of
about 0.28 inch and
openings 110 have a diameter of about 0.19 inch. As can be appreciated, other
shapes and sizes
of the openings can be used. Recessed region is recessed about 0.016 inch and
has a radius of
about 1.125 inch. As can be appreciated, other depths of the recess can be
used. Alternatively,
it can be appreciated that the recess can be eliminated from the anti-rotation
plate. The height
of anti-rotation wall is about 0.093 inch. As can be appreciated, other
heights can be used. The
anti-rotation wall has four walls having an angle of about 141.43 between
the walls. As can be
appreciated, other angles can be used and/or other numbers of walls can be
used. The distance
of the center of each wall from the center of pocket 116 is about 0.618 inch:
As can be
appreciated, other distances can be used. The front face of support ledge 124
has a radius of
curvature of about 0.531 inch. As can be appreciated, other radii of curvature
can be used. As
a result, the width of the support ledge from the center of each wall 130,
132, 134, 136 to front
face 126 is about 0.087 inch.
As shown in FIGURE 2, bottom body guide 84 includes a body guide bottom
surface 85
and a body guide upper surface 87. Bottom body guide 84 is rigidly attached to
neck support
bracket 80 and specifically to guide support 88. It will be appreciated that
each bottom body
guide 84 can have a retaining pocket (not shown) having a semi-circular cross
section. As such,
bottom body guide 84 contacts the sidewall of bottle 160 at an area vertically
downward from
pocket 116 of anti-rotation plate 102 and at an area diametrically opposed to
a sidewall contact
established by an annular sidewall rear guide 64 to retain bottle 160
substantially vertical while
star wheel 20 rotates bottles 160 from a fixed entry point to fixed exit point
42.
Annular sidewall rear guide 64 has an inner radial surface 65 and an outer
surface 66, the
radius of each surface 65 and 66 terminating at drive shaft axis 26. Sidewall
rear guide 64
includes an upper surface 67 and a lower surface 68. A through-sleeve extends
between upper
surface 67 and lower surface 68 at at least one location in sidewall rear
guide 64. It will be
appreciated that the relative size and relationship of rear guide 64 can
remain generally constant
for many size bottles since, for instance, the diameter of a one-liter, a 12-
ounce and a 20-ounce
bottle are generally the same. It will also be appreciated that the that rear
guide 64 can be
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completely changed out and replaced with a different size rear guide 64.
Suspended from rear
neck guide 44 is at least one vertical post or positioning rod 69. The
positioning rod can include
circumferential concave grooves (not shown) spaced along a length between the
lower end and
an upper end of the vertical post. Vertical post 69 is attached to rear neck
guide 44 by the hex
head bolts 46. Sidewall rear guide 64 can be attached to vertical post 69 by
various means. One
such arrangement is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 5,732,528,
which is
incorporated herein by reference.
Referring now to FIGURES 2-8, bottle 160 is in the form of a non-carbonated
beverage
bottle. As can be appreciated, bottle 160 can also be used for carbonated
beverages. Bottle 160
includes an upper neck and mouth-forming portion 162, a cylindrical sidewall
portion 184
extending around the longitudinal axis of the container, and a lower base-
forming portion 190.
The upper neck and mouth-forming portion 162 provides a neck-forming
transition 164 leading
to the container mouth 166. The transition portion 164 can take any
conveniently usable and
moldable shape such as, but not limited to, a frustoconical shape,
hemispherical shape, ogive
shape, or some other shape. A thread 168 positioned adjacent mouth 166 is
designed to accept
a threaded cap 180 commonly used to close the beverage bottles; however, the
mouth-forming
portion of the containers can be provided with means to accommodate other
types of closures.
The upper neck and mouth-forming portion 162 also includes an anti-rotation
flange
positioned above the transition portion 164. The anti-rotation flange includes
an underside
surface 172 and a topside surface 174. Underside surface 172 is adapted to be
partially or fully
supported in pocket 116 of anti-rotation plate during the capping process.
Underside surface 172
is also adapted to be partially or fully supported by guide rails 140, 142
when the bottle is being
conveyed to and/or from the bottling and/or capping apparatus as illustrated
in FIGURE 7. As
shown in FIGURES 1, 3, 5-7, the anti-rotation flange has seven sides 176 that
form a generally
heptagonal shape. The odd number of sides inhibits or prevents the anti-
rotation flange from
disengaging from guide rails 140, 142 when the bottle is being conveyed to
and/or from the
bottling and/or capping apparatus. The sides of the anti-rotation flange also
enable one or more
sides of the anti-rotation flange to partially or fully mate with the anti-
rotation wall in pocket 116
to inhibit or prevent rotation of the bottle during the capping process. The
mating of the one or
more sides of the anti-rotation flange with the anti-rotation wall in pocket
116 is illustrated in
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FIGURES 6A and 6B. As shown in FIGURES 6A and 6B, the anti-rotation flange is
positioned
in pocket 116 such that the anti-rotation flange is not ideally oriented in
pocket 116. When the
bottles are conveyed to the bottling and/or capping apparatus, the bottles are
oriented in various
positions. However, during the bottle's movement on the star wheel and/or
during the capping
process, the bottle will be rotated as shown by the arrows in FIGURES 6A and
6B, thereby
resulting in the anti-rotation flange becoming properly oriented with respect
to the anti-rotation
wall in pocket 116, thus resulting in the inhibiting or preventing of further
rotation of the bottle
during the capping process.
Referring now to FIGURES 8A-8F, several other non-limiting configurations of
the anti-
rotation flange can be used on bottle 160 to inhibit or prevent rotation of
the bottle during the
capping process and/or inhibit or prevent the anti-rotation flange from
disengaging from the
guide rails when the bottle is being conveyed to and/or from the bottling
and/or capping
apparatus. As shown in FIGURE 8A, the anti-rotation flange has five generally
equal,length
sides 176 thereby forming a pentagon. In FIGURE 8B, the anti-rotation flange
has nine generally
equal length sides 176 thereby forming a nonagon. As can be appreciated, the
anti-rotation
flange can be formed to have less than five generally equal length sides or
more than nine
generally equal length sides. When equal length straight sides are used, the
number of sides
typically is an odd number. As can be appreciated, when non-equal length
straight sides are used,
the number of sides on the anti-rotation flange can be an odd or even number.
In FIGURE 8C,
the anti-rotation flange includes eight notches 178 having an arcuate shape.
Although a plurality
of arcuate notches are shown, the anti-rotation flange can include only one
notch 178 or some
number other than eight. In FIGURE 8D, the anti-rotation flange includes a
twelve V-shaped
notches 200. Although a plurality of V-shaped notches are shown, the anti-
rotation flange can
include only one notch 200 or some number other than twelve. In FIGURE 8E, the
anti-rotation
flange includes a eight notches 202 that have a substantially straight surface
and an arcuate
surface. Although a plurality of notches 202 are shown, the anti-rotation
flange can include only
one notch 202 or some number other than eight. In FIGURE 8F, the anti-rotation
flange has three
generally equal length sides 176 thereby forming a modified triangular shape.
Many other non-
circular anti-rotation flanges can be used that inhibit or prevent rotation of
the bottle during the
capping process and/or inhibit or prevent the anti-rotation flange from
disengaging from the
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guide rails when the bottle is being conveyed to and/or from the bottling
and/or capping
apparatus. These other configurations fall within the scope of this invention.
As shown in FIGURE 2, lower base-forming portion 190 of container 160 includes
a
central portion 192 having a hemispherical or champagne-type configuration. As
can be
appreciated, lower base-forming portion 190 can have other configurations such
as having a
plurality of foot-forming portions (not shown) formed about the central
portion for supporting
bottle 160.
The bottle can be formed into a variety of dimensions to satisfy a particular
use.
Typically, the bottle is sized for 16-ounce applications, 20-ounce
applications, one-quart
applications, one-liter applications, two-quart applications, two-liter
applications, and one-gallon
applications. As can be appreciated, other sized bottles can be used. For
instance, a bottle for
containing 20 ounces can have an overall height of about 7-9 inches, for
filling within about
1.25-2 inches of the mouth. When the bottle is a plastic bottle, the upper
neck and
mouth-forming portion can be finished with a threaded opening (e.g. PCO-28
finish). As can be
appreciated, a sports top that allows for easy opening and closing of the
mouth can be
additionally or alternatively inserted in the mouth of the bottle. The
cylindrical sidewall of the
bottle can have a maximum diameter of about 2.25-3.5 inches. A reduced label
panel diameter
193 on the sidewall can be used as shown in FIGURE 2. If such panel diameter
is used, the
diameter can be about 2-3.25 inches. Additionally and/or alternatively, the
sidewall can include
one or more ribs 194 extending about the central axis of the bottle. A number
of other
configurations can be incorporated on the sidewall for structural and/or
aesthetic purposes. The
neck-forming transition between the cylindrical sidewall and the mouth can be
an ogive shape
extending downwardly from about 0.5-1.5 inch below the mouth of to blend into
the cylindrical
sidewall approximately 2-3.5 inches below the mouth. The base of the bottle
can be substantially
flat, convex, and/or include a plurality of feet or legs. If the bottle is a
plastic bottle that includes
feet or legs, such configuration can be the same or similar to configurations
disclosed in United
States Patent Nos. 4,978,015; 5,603,423; and 6,276,546, which are incorporated
herein by
reference.
In another example, a bottle for containing two liters can have an overall
height of about
10-13 inches, for filling within about 1-2.25 inches of the mouth. The finish
of the bottle, when
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made of plastic, can be a threaded opening with a PCO-28 finish. The
cylindrical sidewall of the
improved bottle can have a maximum diameter of about 3.5-5 inches. A reduced
label panel
diameter on the sidewall can be used. If such panel diameter is used, the
diameter can be about
3.25-4.75 inches. Additionally and/or alternatively, the sidewall can include
one or more ribs
extending about the central axis of the bottle. A number of other
configurations can be
incorporated on the sidewall for structural and/or aesthetic purposes. The
neck-forming
transition between the cylindrical sidewall and the mouth can be an ogive
shape extending
downwardly from about 0.5-1.5 inch below the mouth to blend into the
cylindrical sidewall
approximately 3-5 inches below the mouth. The base of the bottle can be
substantially flat,
convex, and/or include a plurality of feet or legs. If the improved plastic
container includes feet
or legs, such configuration can be the same or similar to configurations
disclosed above.
Bottle 160 can be formed by a number of standard techniques. Typically, when
the bottle
is formed of plastic, the bottle is formed from PET; however, other plastics
can be used.
Generally, the processing of the plastic bottle involves the injection molding
of PET into what
is commonly referred to as a"preform" and then blow-molding such preform into
the improved
plastic container. PET is a polymer with a combination of properties that are
desirable for the
packaging of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages including toughness,
clarity, creep
resistance, strength, and a high gas barrier. Furthermore, because PET is a
thermoplastic, it can
be recycled by the application ofheat. Solid PET exists in three basic forms,
namely amorphous,
crystalline, and biaxially oriented. PET in the amorphous state is clear and
colorless and is only
moderately strong and tough. This is the state that preforms are in upon being
injection molded.
Crystalline PET is formed when molten PET is cooled slowly to below about 80
C. In the
crystalline state, PET appears opaque, milky-white and is brittle. Oriented
PET is formed by
mechanically stretching amorphous PET at above about 80 C and then cooling the
material.
Biaxially oriented PET is usually very strong, clear, tough, and has good gas
barrier properties.
Therefore, in the design of plastic containers made of PET, it is desirable to
obtain as much
biaxial orientation as is possible. Various types of PET material can be used
in the manufacture
of the improved plastic container. Typical values of intrinsic viscosity for
PET bottle
manufacture are in the range of about 0.65 to 0.85.
The bottle, when formed of plastic, can be formed by a conventional injection-
molded
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preform. As known in the art, various configurations of preforms for a desired
plastic bottle can
be used to make various plastic bottle designs. The use of a particular
preform with a particular
plastic bottle design is a matter of design and the selection criteria. It may
be advantageous to
alter the design of the preform to optimize the final plastic bottle design.
For instance, it may be
advantageous to taper the bottom of the preform to allow better orientation
and distribution of
material. As can be appreciated, other alterations can be used. The improved
plastic container
can be formed by a conventional stretch blow-molding process. In such a
process, biaxial
orientation is introduced into the PET by producing stretch along both the
length of the improved
plastic container and the circumference of the improved plastic container. .
In stretch
blow-molding, a stretch rod is utilized to elongate the preform, and air or
other gas pressure is
used to radially stretch the preform, both of which happen essentially
simultaneously. Prior to
blow-molding, the preforms are preheated to the correct temperature, generally
about 100 C, but
this temperature can vary depending upon the particular PET material used.
Once the PET
preform is at the desired temperature, it is typically secured by its neck in
a mold which has a
cavity of the desired plastic container shape. A stretch rod is introduced
into the mouth of the
improved plastic container to distribute the material the length of the
improved plastic container.
Simultaneously, air can be blown into the improved plastic container from
around the stretch rod
to distribute the material radially to give the radial or hoop orientation.
Air pressure pushes the
improved plastic container walls against the mold, which is generally cooled,
causing the PET
to cool. After sufficient cooling has taken place, to avoid plastic bottle
shrinkage, the mold is
opened and the improved plastic container is discharged.
The invention can thus provide durable bottle for carbonated and non-
carbonated
beverages. When the bottle is formed of plastic, the plastic bottle can be
formed at a low cost
and low weight manufacturable from plastic material by molding with minimal
plastic material,
with maximal volumes with minimal heights in easily handled diameters, with
maximal height
cylindrical sidewall portions, with excellent stability in both filled and
unfilled conditions.
The present invention has been described with reference to a number of
different
embodiments. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the
exact details of
construction, operation, exact materials or embodiments shown and described,
as obvious
modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art. It
is believed that many
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modifications and alterations to the embodiments disclosed will readily
suggest themselves to
those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the detailed
description of the invention.
It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as
they come within the
scope of the present invention.
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