Bottles and jars – Sidewall structure – Contoured sidewall
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2001-08-14
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Sidewall structure
Contoured sidewall
C215S399000, C224S414000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273283
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bottles and, more particularly, to bottles having integrally formed clips allowing the bottles to be attached to various support structures.
2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art:
Plastic bottles have become extremely popular as containers for fluids and, in particular, beverages such as water, juice, soda, tea and milk. Typically, plastic bottles are generally cylindrical in configuration and thusly receivable in conventional cup holders such as those found in automobiles, in the armrests of chairs and various other places. Also, the generally cylindrical configuration of such bottles is compatible with conventional packaging formats where a plurality of bottles are held together by packaging structure, such as a carton or a plastic carrier, in the manner of a “six-pack ”. A primary advantage of plastic bottles is that their caps can be removed and replaced so that the contents need not be consumed at one time but, rather, can be consumed over a period of time. Such bottles have additional advantages including being lightweight, relatively low in cost, recyclable, compatible with high volume manufacturing processes, and adaptable to diverse packaging structure, equipment and procedures. Plastic bottles have the further attribute of being transportable. However, transportability of conventional plastic bottles is limited in that the bottles must be physically carried from place to place by consumers. Often, consumers must hand carry and hold their bottles resulting in their hands being occupied and not free for other uses. Various reusable bottle carriers that can be worn by consumers have been proposed for plastic bottles. Such bottle carriers are relatively expensive and may not fit all sizes of conventional bottles. In addition, many products, such as beverages, sold in plastic bottles are often purchased spontaneously or in other situations where the purchasers do not have access to their bottle carriers thusly precluding their use in many circumstances.
It has been proposed to incorporate structure on bottles by which the bottles can be attached to or hung from various support structures as represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,160,304 to Peacock, 3,163,332 to Boyle et al., 3,225,951 to Poston et al., 3,716,871 to Borse, 3,920,140 to Kiser, 4,747,519 to Green et al., 4,925,042 to Chong, 4,955,572 to Simmons, 5,105,958 to Patten, and 5,743,620 to Rojas et al. The Peacock, Boyle et al., Green et al., Chong and Simmons patents disclose bottles having clip or hook members formed separately from and not as part of the bottles. The Poston et al. and Patten patents disclose bottles having tongue structures for engagement in grooves or channels formed in or secured to the support structures to which the bottles are to be attached. The Borse, Kiser and Rojas et al. patents disclose bottles having clips formed integrally with bodies of the bottles and by which the bottles may be attached to or hung from support structures. The clips protrude exteriorly beyond external configurations of the bodies and are not designed to accommodate the contents with which the bottles are filled.
The need exists for clip-on bottles having bodies of generally cylindrical external configuration and clips formed integrally, unitarily with the bodies by which the bottles may be attached to or supported from various support structures, with the clips disposed within or defining part of the cylindrical external configuration of the bodies. The need further exists for clip-on bottles having bodies of generally cylindrical configuration and clips formed integrally, unitarily with the bodies, with the clips being hollow to receive the contents with which the bottles are filled.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of prior art clip-on bottles.
A further object of the present invention is to form a bottle of generally cylindrical external configuration with a clip disposed within the cylindrical external configuration of the bottle.
An additional object of the present invention is to form a bottle of generally cylindrical external configuration with a clip forming part of the cylindrical external configuration of the bottle.
The present invention also has as an object to form a bottle with a hollow clip having an interior for receiving the contents with which the bottle is filled.
It is also an object of the present invention to facilitate attachment of a plastic bottle to various diverse support structures.
Some of the advantages of the present invention are that the bottles can be easily transported by consumers while allowing consumers' hands to remain free for other uses, the plastic bottles can be easily attached to a person's clothing or accessories, the clips do not significantly reduce the available interior volume or capacity of the bottles, the clips do not add external profile to the bottles, the bottles are stylish and aesthetically appealing, the bottles are lightweight and cost-efficient, the bottles serve as effective advertising or sales tools for the contents thereof, the bottles may be of particular appeal to children, the bottles facilitate the avoidance of dehydration by enhancing accessibility to a source of fluid, the bottles are well-suited for retail display, and the bottles are adaptable to various conventional packaging formats including various packaging structures, equipment and/or methods.
These and other objects, advantages and benefits are realized with the present invention as generally characterized in a bottle including a body of generally cylindrical external configuration and a clip joined to the body. The body has a closed lower end and an open upper end adapted to receive a cap. The clip has an outer wall disposed within or defining part of the cylindrical external configuration of the body and an inner wall spaced from a wall segment of the body. A slot is defined between the inner wall of the clip and the wall segment of the body and has an open slot end disposed along the exterior of the bottle by which part of a support structure, such as a belt, waistband, backpack, stroller or shopping cart, for example, can be inserted between the clip and the bottle to support the bottle upon the support structure. The slot can be longitudinally curved or longitudinally straight and is preferably of uniform or substantially uniform depth. Preferably, the clip is hollow to define an interior communicating with the interior of the body so that contents with which the bottle is filled are disposed within the interior of the bottle and the interior of the clip.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts in each of the several figures are identified by the same reference character.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 196390 (1963-09-01), McDermott
patent: D. 199643 (1964-11-01), Roberts
patent: D. 204702 (1966-05-01), Nixon
patent: D. 246156 (1977-10-01), Muscatiello et al.
patent: 3160304 (1964-12-01), Peacock
patent: 3163332 (1964-12-01), Boyle et al.
patent: 3225951 (1965-12-01), Poston et al.
patent: 3716871 (1973-02-01), Borse
patent: 3920140 (1975-11-01), Kiser
patent: 3998360 (1976-12-01), Mack
patent: 4088250 (1978-05-01), Schaefer
patent: 4176770 (1979-12-01), Griggs et al.
patent: 4736920 (1988-04-01), Omessi
patent: 4747519 (1988-05-01), Green et al.
patent: 4925042 (1990-05-01), Chong
patent: 4955572 (1990-09-01), Simmons
patent: 5105958 (1992-04-01), Patton
patent: 5251577 (1993-10-01), McMahon
patent: 5609277 (1997-03-01), McDonald
patent: 5743620 (1998-04-01), Rojas et al.
Terrana Antonio
Terrana Frank P.
LandOfFree
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