Plastic Bottle and Process for Affixing a Shrinkable Label Thereon

Abstract

Plastic bottle having a body ( 2 ) with a polygonal cross section, with three or four sides, and a tapered part ( 5 ) which extends between said body ( 2 ) and the neck ( 7 ) of the bottle having surface of revolution form or cross section similar to that of the body ( 2 ), but less accentuated. The bottle is particularly suitable to be covered with a heat-shrinkable plastic film.

1 . Plastic bottle having a longitudinal axis ( 1 ), a body ( 2 ), a cross section substantially polygonal with three of four sides, a neck ( 7 ) essentially cylindrical in form, a tapered part ( 5 ) connecting the body ( 2 ) to the neck ( 7 ), characterized in that a boundary ( 4 ) between said body ( 2 ) and the tapered part ( 5 ) has convexities ( 11 ) facing in a longitudinal direction towards said neck ( 7 ) in the points in which it is at a minimum distance from said longitudinal axis ( 1 ), and convexities ( 12 ) facing in the opposite direction in the points in which it is at a maximum distance from said longitudinal axis ( 1 ), and in that below the neck ( 7 ) said tapered part ( 5 ) has a portion with convex curvature with radius of curvature R 2  below 15 mm.  
   
   
       2 . Bottle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said body ( 2 ) has rounded edges ( 13 ).  
   
   
       3 . Bottle as claimed in any of the previous claims, wherein said tapered part ( 5 ) has the form of a surface of revolution, at said boundary ( 4 ).  
   
   
       4 . Bottle as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said tapered part ( 5 ) has a cross section, at said boundary ( 4 ), with a form corresponding to the cross section of said body ( 2 ), but less accentuated.  
   
   
       5 . Bottle as claimed in any of the previous claims wherein said tapered part ( 5 ) is ogival.  
   
   
       6 . Bottle as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said tapered part ( 5 ) comprises a truncated cone shaped part ( 17 ) in proximity to said neck ( 7 ).  
   
   
       7 . Bottle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said truncated cone shaped part ( 17 ) is inclined so that a plane tangent thereto forms with said longitudinal axis ( 1 ) an angle ranging from 30° to 90°.  
   
   
       8 . Bottle as claimed in  claim 6  or  7 , wherein said truncated cone shaped part ( 17 ) has a maximum width D 3  and a minimum width D 4  in which 0.6≦(D 2 −D 4 )/(D 1 −D 3 )≦1, where D 1  is the maximum width and D 2  the minimum width of said body ( 2 ).  
   
   
       9 . Bottle as claimed in any of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein the maximum inclination of the ogival part ( 5 ) is such that a plane tangent in the point of maximum inclination forms with said longitudinal axis ( 1 ) an angle ranging from 30° to 90°.  
   
   
       10 . Bottle as claimed in any of the previous claims wherein immediately below the neck ( 7 ) said tapered part ( 5 ) has a portion ( 15 ) with concave curvature with radius of curvature R 1  greater than zero and less than or equal to 8 mm.  
   
   
       11 . Bottle as claimed in any of the previous claims wherein a covering with a heat-shrinkable film is provided.  
   
   
       12 . Bottle as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said covering with said film includes at least a portion of said tapered part ( 5 ).  
   
   
       13 . Bottle as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein it is covered with said film up to the neck ( 7 ).  
   
   
       14 . Process to cover a plastic bottle comprising the steps of: 
 positioning a heat-shrinkable film around a bottle as claimed in any of  claims 1  to  10 ;    causing shrinkage of the film by applying heat, so that it adheres to the bottle.