High strength bottle

Abstract

A bottle with improved strength is provided. The bottle can have a liquid holding capacity of at least 2.5 gallons and can exhibit a drop impact resistance of at least 3 feet as measured by ASTMD 2463-95. The bottle can be formed from a substantially BPA-free material. The bottle can be used in liquid dispensers, such as water coolers.

1 . A bottle comprising an outlet at a first end of said bottle, a base at a second end of said bottle, and a main body located between said outlet and said base, wherein said bottle defines a central longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction between said first and second ends of said bottle, wherein said main body comprises a well panel and an integrally-formed handle, wherein said well panel at least partly defines a recessed well and said handle spans at least a portion of said recessed well, wherein the outer surface of said well panel defines a concave longitudinal panel curve along a longitudinal reference plane containing said central longitudinal axis and extending through the centroid of said well panel, wherein the outer surface of said well panel defines a convex transverse panel curve along a transverse reference plane that extends through the centroid of said well panel and is oriented such that said central longitudinal axis is normal to said transverse reference plane. 
     
     
         2 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of said well panel has the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid. 
     
     
         3 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said transverse panel curve has a radius of curvature (R 2 ) of at least 10 inches and not more than 60 inches, wherein said transverse panel curve extends circumferentially through an angle (A 3 ) of at least 90 degrees and not more than 180 degrees, measured relative to said central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said longitudinal panel curve has a radius of curvature (R 4 ) of at least 1 inch and not more than 10 inches, wherein said longitudinal panel curve extends longitudinally through an angle (A 4 ) of at least 100 degrees and not more than 180 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said main body further comprises at least one sidewall extending substantially parallel to said central longitudinal axis, wherein said sidewall has a substantially cylindrical shape and is centered around said central longitudinal axis, wherein the ratio of the radius of curvature of said transverse panel curve (R 2 ) to the radius of curvature of said sidewall (R 3 ), measured along said transverse reference plane, is at least 2:1 and not more than 20:1. 
     
     
         6 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said handle defines an open internal passageway sized to permit a sphere having a diameter of at least 0.5 inches to pass entirely therethrough. 
     
     
         7 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said handle presents a curved outer profile, wherein said curved outer profile has a radius of curvature (R 5 ) of at least 4 inches and not more than 30 inches, wherein said curved outer profile extends longitudinally through an angle (A 5 ) of at least 5 degrees and not more than 50 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said handle defines first and second handle end points located on the outermost opposite terminal ends of said handle, wherein a handle orientation line is defined between said first and second handle end points, wherein said handle orientation line is either parallel to said central longitudinal axis or skewed relative to said central longitudinal axis by an angle of less than 20 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The bottle of  claim 8 , wherein said main body further comprises a substantially cylindrical sidewall to which said well panel is coupled, wherein said handle orientation line is spaced inwardly from the outer circumference of said sidewall by a distance of at least 0.1 inches. 
     
     
         10 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said base comprises a chime and a concave push-up. 
     
     
         11 . The bottle of  claim 10 , wherein said push-up has a radius of curvature (R 5 ) of at least 2 inches and not more than 18 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The bottle of  claim 10 , wherein said push-up has a substantially circular outer perimeter having a radius (R 6 ) of at least 1.5 inches and not more than 5 inches. 
     
     
         13 . The bottle of  claim 10 , wherein said bottle comprises a weld extending along said transverse reference plane, wherein said base further comprises a pair of concave tunnel recesses, wherein said weld extends through said tunnel recesses. 
     
     
         14 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein bottle further comprises a neck, an expansion section, and a shoulder, wherein said neck is located adjacent said outlet, said shoulder is located adjacent said main body, and said expansion section is located between said neck and said shoulder, wherein said expansion section has a generally frusto-conical shape, wherein said expansion section forms an angle (A 1 ) of at least 25 degrees and not more than 40 degrees from a plane normal to said central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         15 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said bottle has a weight of at least 600 grams and not more than 900 grams, wherein said bottle has a liquid holding capacity of at least 2.5 gallons and not more than 10 gallons. 
     
     
         16 . The bottle of  claim 15 , wherein said bottle has a drop impact resistance of at least 3 feet as measure by ASTM D 2463-95. 
     
     
         17 . The bottle of  claim 15 , wherein said bottle is at least partly formed of a synthetic polymeric material, wherein said synthetic polymeric material makes up at least 50 percent of the total weight of said bottle. 
     
     
         18 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein said synthetic polymeric material comprises less than 1 weight percent of bisphenol A polycarbonate. 
     
     
         19 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein said polymeric material has a flexural modulus of at least 100,000 psi and not more than 300,000 psi as measured by ASTM D790. 
     
     
         20 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein said polymeric material comprises 70 mole percent to 100 mole percent of terephthalic acid residues and 0 to 30 mole percent of modifying acid residues, 15 mole percent to 40 mole percent of 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol residues, and 60 mole percent to 85 mole percent 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol residues, based on a total of 100 mole percent diacid residues and 100 mole percent diol residues.