Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
LIQUID CONTAINER
TECHNiCAL F'IELD
The present invention relates to a liquid container for containing
various liquids including beverages, such as a PET bottle.
BACKGROUND ART
Usually, beverages including refreshing drinks, carbonated drinks,
teas and alcoholic drinks are contained in plastic liquid containers,
such as PET bottles, when they are offered for sale. Such a liquid
container is provided with a hollow container body capable of
accommodating a drink and a neck extending fromthe top end of the container
body, and a mouth is disposed at the top end of the neck.
When the drink is to be poured from this liquid container into
d cup oi a giasa, tile container iLJVUy 1s 11e1d alld llt1.1111ed w1111e tlie
drink is being poured so that the mouth is positioned over the cup or
the glass, but when the quantity of drink in the liquid container is
large, the drink may splash out when the container body is inclined,
resulting in a problem that the drink may be spilled out of the cup
or the glass or be scattered around.
In this connection, there is known what has a neck extending
obliquely upward at the top of the container body and is inclined in
the inclining direction of the neck when pouring the drink to facilitate
pouring of the drink into the cup or the g'_sss (see, for instance, Patent
Document 1).
However, since what has a neck whose shape is inclined in advance
as described above cannot be held with the mouth of the neck oriented
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straight upward when the drink is not to be poured, inconvenience often
occurs with the neck kept inclined. For instance, in a drink
manufacturing plant, the drink cannot be poured into the container from
right above it, and accordingly there is the trouble of impossibility
to use the existing plant facilities. Also, when such containers are
to be displayed as merchandise in sales stores, unless their inclined
neck are aligned with one another, the displayed state will look
disorderly and deteriorate the looks of the store display.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Registration No.3107288
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An obj ect of the present invention, attempted in view of the problems
noted above, is to provide a liquid container permitting pouring of
liquid with its mouth directed obliquely and also upright orientation
of the mouth.
In order to achieve the object stated above, a liquid container
is provided with a hollow container body capable of accoiranodating any
desired drink and a neck extending from the top end of the container
body, with a mouth for pouring liquid disposed at the top end of the
neck, the liquid container being characterized being provided with a
movable part which can incline sideways the neck positioned above it
in a prescribed position in the vertical position of the neck.
This enables, when liquid is to be poured into an external container,
the pouring can be done with the mouth directed toward the external
container by inclining the neck in the upper part of the movable part
sideways, and accorciirigly it is made possible to reduce tne trouble
of letting the liquid spill out of the external container or scatter
around it. Also; except when pouring liquid, the mouth can be kept
right upward without inclining the neck.
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A liquid container according to the invention, since it allows
pouring of liquid with its mouth directed obliquely, pouring of the
liquid into an external container is facilitated and the pouring of
the liquid is enabled to be done smoothly. Also, as it is also permissible
to dlrCct thertol.lth r1ghL I.lpward, 1t 1s posslble, iii a
liq'uidmal"ilifactliririg
plant for instance, to pour the drink into the container from right
above it as is the case with ordinary liquid containers and accordingly
there is the advantage of possibility to use the existing plant facilities .
In addition, when such containers are to be displayed as merchandise
in sales stores, they can be displayed in an orderly way as ordinary
liquid containers are by directing their neck right upward, resulting
in the advantage that the looks of the store display are not deteriorated.
BRIEFLY DESCRIBE OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an overall perspective view showing a liquid container
of an embodiment according to the present invention;
Figures 2(a) to 2(c) are front views of the iiquid container;
Figure 3 is a front section of the essential part showing a state
in which the neck is pulled upward;
Figure 4 is a front section of the essential part showing a state
in which the neck is pressed downward;
Figure 5 is a front section of the essential part showing a state
in which the neck is inclined;
Figure 6 is a side view showing a state of pouring drink out;
Figure 7 is a side view showing another state of pouring drink
ou IL:;
Figure 8 is a plan of a liquid container representing another
embodiment according to the invention;
Figure 9 is a front view of the essential part of the liquid
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container; and
Figure 10 is a front section of the essential part of the liquid
container.
DESCRIPTION OF SYT-IBVLS
1 . . . container body, 2 . . . neck, 2a . . . first neck, 2b . . . second
neck, 3 ... movable part, 3a ... concave, 6 ... drink, 8 ... liquid.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Figure 1 through Figure 6 show an embodiment of the present invention,
wherein Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a liquid container;
Figures 2(a) to 2(c), its front views; Figure 3, a front section of
the essential part showing a state in which the neck is pulled upward;
Figure 4, a front section of the essential part showing a state in which
the neck is pressed downward; Figure 5, a front section of the essential
part showing a state in which the neck is inclined; and Figure 6, a
side view showing a state of pouring czriiik uuL.
This liquid container is provided with a container body 1 capable
of containing a drink, a neck 2 extending upward from the upper end
side of the container body 1, a movable part 3 disposed in a prescribed
position in the vertical direction of the neck 2, and the container
body 1, the neck 2 and the movable part 3 are formed integrally by known
blow molding.
The container body 1 has a vertically long hollow shape whose
transverse section constitutes a substantially rectangular shape, and
is formed in a size matcniiig a prEscribed capacity (e.g. 1 liter, 1.5
liters, 2 liters and so forth).
The neck 2 comprises a first neck 2a formed underneath the movable
part 3 and a second neck 2b formed over the movable part 3, and a mouth
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2c is disposed at the upper end of the second neck 2b. The first neck
2a is so formed that its transverse section constitutes a substantially
rectangular shape, and its side faces so extend obliquely upward as
to approach one another from the upper end side of the container body
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transverse section constitutes a round shape and that its diameter
increases obliquely upward. The second neck 2b is so formed that its
transverse section constitutes a round shape, and its circumferential
shape is so formed that the diameter is greater in the substantially
central part in the vertical direction and is smaller toward the upper
end and the lower end. A cap-shaped lid 4 is screwed onto the upper
end of the second neck 2b, and the mouth 2c is opened and closed by
the lid 4.
The movable part 3 is arranged between the first neck 2a and the
second neck 2b, and the second neck 2b is so deformable as to be inclined
in the transverse direction. The movable part 3 is formed in a flange
1
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neck 2b is arranged inwardly in that radial direction. Thus, the movable
part 3 extends outward in the radial direction from the lower end side
of the second neck 2b to the upper end part 2d of the first neck 2a,
and its flange part is to be deformed in the vertical direction. In
this case, the movable part 3 is so formed as to be capable of being
held deformed upward as shown in Figure 2 (a) and in a state in which
its flange part is deformed downward as shown in Figure 2(b).
Thus, as shown in Figure 2 (a) and Figure 3, when the second neck
2b is pulled upward, the movable part 3 is so deformed as to have an
upward convex shape, and the neck 2 is held in a state of being stretched
in the vertical direction. Also, as shown in Figure 2(b) and Figure
4, when the second neck 2b is pressed downward, the movable part 3 is
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so deformed as to have a downward convex shape, and the neck 2 is held
in a state of being contracted in the vertical direction. Further,
as shown in Figure 2(c) and Figure 5, when the second neck 2b is inclined
sideways, the movable part 3 is so deformed as to have a downward convex
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of the second neck 2b) and the movable part 3 is so deformed as to have
an upward convex shape on the other end side in the widthwise direction
(the opposite side in the inclining direction of the second neck 2b)
to hold the second neck 2b in the inclined state. In this case, the
second neck 2b can be inclined toward any side in the radial direction
of the movable part 3.
The liquid container configured as described above is to contain
a drink, such as tea, juice, alcoholic drink or the like and, when a
drink 6 is poured into a glass 5 as shown in Figure 6, pouring of the
drink 6 into the glass 5 is facilitated by inclining the container body
1 in a state in which the second neck 2b is slanted toward the glass
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or letting it scatter around the glass 5.
In this way, the liquid container in this embodiment, as it is
provided with the movable part 3 so deformable as to incline the second
neck 2b sideways, facilitates pouring of the drink 6 into the glass
5 by having the drink 6 poured in a state in which the second neck 2b
is slanted toward the glass 5, and the pouring of the liquid is enabled
to be done smoothly. Also, as the second neck 2b can be slanted as
required, it is permissible to keep the mouth 2c right upward without
inclining the second neck 2b except when the drink is to be poured.
This makes it possible, in a liquid manufacturing plant for instance,
to pour the drink into the container from right above it as is the case
with ordinary liquid containers and accordingly there is the advantage
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of possibility to use the existing plant facilities. Also, when such
containers are to be displayed as merchandise in sales stores, they
can be displayed in an orderly way as ordinary liquid containers are
by directing their second neck 2b right upward, resulting in the further
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Moreover, as the movable part 3 is formed in a flange shape extending
in the radial direction from the lower end side of the second neck 2b
positioned above it and the flange-shaped part is deformable in the
vertical direction, the second neck 2b can be inclined toward any side
in the radial direction of the movable part 3. This enables the pouring
of the drink to be done easily without having to hold the container
body 1 in a different way depending on the inclining direction of the
second neck 2b. In this case, since the movable part 3 expands in a
flange shape toward underneath the mouth 2c, there is another advantage
that drops of the drink falling from the mouth 2c can be received by
the movable part 3 and the drops of the drink can be prevented from
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Furthermore, when the second neck 2b is inclined sideways in the
state of being pressed downward, as a portion (on the opposite side
in the inclining direction) of the flange-shaped part of the movable
part 3 is deformed upward and the position of the liquid face 6a of
the drink 6 within relative to the mouth 2c is correspondingly lowered,
even the quantity of the drink 6 within is large, the drink 6 will not
vigorously splash out when the container body 1 is inclined, and it
is thereby made easier to pour the drink 6.
Also, as the flange-shaped part of the movable part 3 is forined
to be held in an upward deformed state and a downward deformed state,
the inclined state of the second neck 2b can be securely held.
Further, as the container body 1, the neck 2 and the movable part
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3 are integrally formed, they can be fabricated in a similar fabricating
method to ordinary containers, for instance by blow moldina, and
accordingly a significant advantage in practical application can be
achieved.
.Tincldentally / though th.. mo ~rahl e part 3 formed ~n a fiange shape
is shown with respect to the embodiment described above, a movable part
in some other shape may as well be disposed, such as forming part of
the neck 2 in a bellows shape. Also, though the transverse section
of the container body 1 has a substantially rectangular shape in the
embodiment described above, its transverse section may as well be in
a round shape. Further, the present invention can be applied not only
to containers for selling drinks, such as PET bottles, but also to
containers for other purposes including, f or instance, drink containers
for household use and canteens. The invention can also be applied to
what is intended for containing various non-drink liquids, such as
seasonings, oils, detergents and liquids for industrial use. In this
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case of a seasoning or the like, when a liquid 8 is to be poured into
a container 7 as shown in Figure 7, if the second neck 2b is slanted
toward the direction opposite to the container 7 and the liquid is
discharged, the liquid 6 will not be discharged in a large quantity
at a time even if the container body 1 is slanted, but the liquid 8
can be poured securely little by little.
Figure 8 through Figure 10 show another embodiment of the invention,
wherein Figure 8 is a plan of a liquid container; Figure 9, a front
view of the essential p::rt thereof; and Figure 10, a front sectiorl -f
the essentialpart thereof. Incidentally, the similar constituent parts
as in the foregoing embodiment are designated by respectively the same
symbols.
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In this embodiment, the movable part 3 is provided with a plurality
of concaves 3a, and each of the concaves 3a is so arranged at intervals
in the circumferential direction of the movable part 3 as to be positioned
on the periphery of the flange-shaped part. In this case, each of the
concaves 3a is so formed in the movable part 3 as to extend frcm the
upper face of the flange-shaped part to the upper end part 2d of the
first neck 2a.
This causes, when the flange-shaped part of the movable part 3
is deformed in the vertical direction, stresses in the circumferential
direction arising on the periphery of the flange-shaped part to be
absorbed by the deformation of each of the concaves 3a in the
circumferential direction, so that, even if the movable part 3 is deformed
repeatedly, no crack occurs in the periphery of the flange-shaped part,
resulting in improvement in durability.
