Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Hollow or container type article – Polymer or resin containing
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-25
2004-09-28
Nolan, Sandra M. (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Hollow or container type article
Polymer or resin containing
C264S150000, C264S152000, C264S516000, C264S527000, C264S534000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06797349
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a handled container such as a large-sized mineral water container and a method of molding such a handled container.
A large-sized mineral water container of synthetic resin material is generally known. Such a large-sized mineral water container usually has a capacity of 12 to 20 liters.
Such a large-sized mineral water container is delivered to and used in general homes and workplaces in North America and Central and South America. Each of the delivered mineral water containers is mounted upside down in a dispenser which has been installed in the house or workplace. Recently, the mineral water has been broadly used even in Japan. Thus, such large-sized mineral water containers are being delivered to houses and workplaces in Japan.
However, the large-sized mineral water containers filled with mineral water is very heavy and inconvenient in carrying. Particularly, when it is to be placed in the dispenser, a great effort is required. Various tools and devices for easily carrying the large-sized mineral water containers have been proposed.
Although various proposals for integrally forming a handle in a large-sized container through a direct blow molding process have been made, no container with a separate handle connected thereto through a blow molding process is not still proposed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An objective of the present invention is to provide a handled container which can be easily carried and placed into a dispenser by forming a container body integrally with a handle, and a method of molding such a handled container.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a handled container comprising:
a container body formed by blow molding in a blow mold and having an inwardly depressed portion in a bottom portion;
a carrying handle formed integrally with the container body by the blow molding at a position corresponding to the depressed portion in the blow mold; and
an insertion space formed between the handle and the bottom portion of the container body for inserting two or more fingers.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of molding a handled container comprising:
inserting a handle at a bottom of a blow mold; and
clamping the blow mold and blow-molding a preform into a container body having an inwardly depressed portion in a bottom portion of the container body,
wherein the blow molding step includes a step of integrally molding the depressed portion of the container body with the handle.
According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the handle can securely be integrated with the container body by blow molding the container body after the handle has been disposed at a bottom of the blow mold corresponding to the depressed portion. Since the insertion space is formed inside of the handle within the depressed portion, furthermore, fingers can be inserted into the insertion space so that an inverted container body can be lifted and carried by grasping the handle. Particularly, the container body can easily be placed into a generally used dispenser since the container is lifted and carried upside down. This is extremely convenient for large-sized containers.
Since the handle can be gasped by two or more fingers, any large-sized container filled with heavy contents can be easily carried.
In the handled container according to the first aspect of the present invention, the container body may have a ground-contact portion which has a continuous shape and is formed in an outer periphery of the bottom portion; the depressed portion may be formed by depressing the bottom portion of the container body inwardly from the ground-contact portion; and the handle may be formed to be positioned inwardly from the ground-contact portion within the depressed portion of the container body.
In the molding method according to the second aspect of the present invention, the container body may have a ground-contact portion which has a continuous shape and is formed in an outer periphery of the bottom portion; the depressed portion may be formed by depressing the bottom portion of the container body inwardly from the ground-contact portion; the blow mold may include a raised bottom mold corresponding to the depressed portion; and the handle may be disposed into the raised bottom mold in the inserting step.
Thus, by disposing the handle into the raised bottom mold and blow molding the container body, a ground-contact portion which has a continuous shape and is formed in an outer periphery of the bottom portion of the container body can be formed; and by depressing the bottom portion of the container body inwardly from the ground-contact portion, the depressed portion can be formed. Since the bottom of the container body is not easily deformed in the presence of the ground-contact portion having a continuous shape even when the container body is lifted through the grasped handle, the handle can securely be prevented from being separated from the bottom of the container body.
Since the handle is located inwardly from the ground-contact portion, the container body will not adversely be affected by the handle even when it is placed on the ground. Furthermore, the connection between the handle and the container body will not broken even when the container falls onto the ground, since the impact will not be transmitted directly to the handle.
In this handled container, the handle may have a grip, a reinforcement plate located substantially parallel to the grip, and a pair of arm portions which respectively connects opposite ends of the grip and the reinforcement plate. Moreover, the reinforcement plate may have a wide portion which has a width larger than the grip.
In such an arrangement, a space into which fingers can be inserted can securely be formed between the reinforcement plate and the grip. In addition, the reinforcement plate will not be distorted on blow molding since the reinforcement plate has its width larger than that of the grip and is supported by the blow mold on blow molding.
In the handled container according to the first aspect of the present invention, the container body may have a ground-contact portion formed in an outer periphery of the bottom portion; and the depressed portion may be formed by inwardly depressing the center of the bottom portion, a bottom of the depressed portion being parallel to the bottom portion of the container body, and the ground-contact portion being divided into two portions by the depressed portion.
In the method of molding a handled container according to the second aspect of the present invention, the container body may have a ground-contact portion formed in an outer periphery of the bottom portion; the depressed portion may be formed to extend across the ground-contact portion to divide the ground-contact portion in two portions; the blow mold may include split blow cavity molds having a bottom shape corresponding to the depressed portion and ground-contact portion; and the handle may be disposed into the split blow cavity molds in the inserting step.
In this configuration, the handled container can be molded without need of any raised bottom mold by performing the blow molding process after the handle has been inserted into the split blow cavity molds having a bottom shape corresponding to the depressed portion and ground-contact portion. This simplifies the structure of the blow mold.
In the handled container, the handle may be a rod-like member including a grip and projected engagement portions at the opposite ends of the grip; and the projected engagement portions may be engaged integrally with an inner wall of the depressed portion.
In this configuration, the bottom of the container body having the ground-contact portion divided in two by the depressed portion can be prevented from being deformed to separate it from the handle when the container body is lifted through the grasped handle.
In the handled container according to the first aspect of the present invention, the container
Burr & Brown
Nissei ASB Machine Co. Ltd.
Nolan Sandra M.
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