Bottles and jars – Sidewall structure – Contoured sidewall
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-13
2001-01-30
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Sidewall structure
Contoured sidewall
C215S395000, C215S900000, C220S743000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179142
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a “wire-frame” contour bottle in which the interior portion comprises a thin high barrier collapsible plastic material and the exterior portion comprises a cage-like structure or wire frame structure which supports the interior collapsible plastic container which may be under stress from gaseous contents of the bottle under pressure when closed. The invention also relates to new and useful improvements in the process of manufacturing a contour bottle suitable for containing liquids such as carbonated beverages under pressure with carbon dioxide gas dissolved therein. It should be noted that the term “wire-frame” structure is not necessarily used to denote a pliable metallic strand but is used to indicate something which resembles a wire, as in slenderness or stiffness. As will be explained below, various materials can be used to make the wire-frame structure of the present invention, but these materials do not necessarily have to be metal.
2. Description of the Background Art
The concept of an outer rigid or semi-rigid supporting portion and an inner flexible, high barrier portion of a composite container is known in the art of container manufacture. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,840 discloses an improved bag-in-box (BIB) composite container wherein an inner bag is blow-molded inside the container's outer box. The inner layer is made from a preform of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), for example.
More recently, liquid containers having a rigid outer supporting portion and an inner collapsible portion with specific objects and improvements are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,344,045 and 5,385,269.
Conventional containers of outer rigid supporting structure with inner flexible collapsible material are well known and old in the art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,636.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Although the art has known of two part bottles having a rigid supporting portion and an inner collapsible portion, the concept of an outer “wire-frame” supporting portion has not been known up to now.
The contour bottle of the invention can comprise an outer supporting framework in the shape of the familiar Coca-Cola Contour Bottle design, a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, Ga., U.S.A. Of course, any suitably shaped framework can be used. The inner high barrier portion of the contour bottle is within, and supported by, the outer supporting framework and conforms to the shape of the exterior supporting framework when filled with contents comprising fluid, for example, liquid or gas.
Generally, the high barrier material is made of a non-toxic, plastic material such as a polyester for example, polyethylene (PEN). The exterior framework or supporting “wire-frame” is made from any suitable materials with the needed rigidity and strength characteristics to support the inner material so as to maintain the shape of the bottle.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a bottle comprising a thin high barrier collapsible plastic material bottle supported by a plastic wire-frame structure to give shape and structural support to the bottle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle which is inexpensive to manufacture and which reduces an amount of material required to make the bottle while producing a bottle which maintains its structural integrity.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a method of using a plastic wire-frame structure in making a bottle of predetermined shape and contour.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a wire-frame plastic structure whose contours are shaped to support an inner plastic bottle in the form of the familiar Coca-Cola Contour Bottle design.
These and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by a bottle which comprises an outer wire-frame cage structure and an inner structure comprising a thin high barrier non-toxic plastic container for holding fluid contents therein.
In addition, these and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by method of manufacturing a bottle which comprises an outer wire-frame cage structure and an inner structure comprising a thin high barrier non-toxic plastic container for holding fluid contents therein, and wherein the method comprises the steps of (a) forming an outer wire-frame supporting structure of defined shape; (b) inserting a preform of thin, high barrier non-toxic material inside said wire-frame; and (c) blow-molding said preform within the wire-frame and forming a container of defined size and shape supported by the wire-frame when the inner plastic container contains fluid contents.
These and other objects are also fulfilled by a wire-frame cage for a contour bottle which comprises: (a) an upper portion comprising a plurality of struts for supporting and shaping the upper portion of an inner collapsible container; (b) a lower portion comprising a plurality of struts for supporting and shaping the lower portion of said inner collapsible container; and (c) a middle portion comprising at least two supporting struts joining the upper portion of the wire-frame with the lower portion of the wire-frame.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
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“Whatever Happened to Versaform's Plast
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
The Coca-Cola Company
Weaver Sue A.
LandOfFree
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