Process and apparatus for coating glass containers and coated glass container

Abstract

Glass containers having a coating of a plastics material over at least a portion of their exterior surface are disclosed. The coatings are duroplastic powder lacquer or acrylic resin lacquer applied by a process including the steps of heating the containers, moving them into a vessel containing a coating medium, allowing the coating to adhere, transferring the containers onto a conveyor and moving the containers through a setting zone. The containers have volumes ranging between 1 liter and 0.33 liters and the ratio V, which is defined as the ratio of the glass mass of a glass container coated in accordance with the aforementioned process to the glass mass of an uncoated glass container having the same filling volume and same filled product, ranging between 0.64 to 0.87.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A glass container having a coating of plastics material applied to at least a portion of its exterior surface according to a process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) bringing said glass containers to a temperature suitable for said coating process;    (b) gripping said group of said glass containers at a pick up site with a gripping device, raising said group of glass containers in a substantially vertical direction to a first level above said pick up site, moving said group of glass containers horizontally to a position above a vessel containing a coating medium, lowering said group of glass containers in a substantially vertical direction into said coating medium to a second level and maintaining said glass containers therein until sufficient said coating medium adheres thereto;    (c) raising said group of glass containers substantially vertically from said second level to a third level and then moving said group substantially horizontally;    (d) transferring said group of glass containers onto a conveyor by releasing said containers from said first gripping device;    (e) moving said group of containers on said conveyor through a setting zone wherein at least a part of said coating medium adhered to said group of containers hardens; and    (f) returning said first gripping device to grip a second group of glass containers, wherein the ratio V is in a range from about 0.62 to about 0.86.    
     
     
         2 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein said coating is a duroplastic powder lacquer coating.  
     
     
         3 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein said coating is an acrylic resin lacquer coating obtained from a dispersion.  
     
     
         4 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein for a 0.33 liter beer bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.69 to about 0.85.  
     
     
         5 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein for a 0.5 liter beer bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.79.  
     
     
         6 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein for a 0.33 liter beverage bottle for holding lemonade, mineral water and the like, said ratio V is in the range from about 0.71 to about 0.87.  
     
     
         7 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein for a 1.0 liter beverage bottle for holding lemonade, mineral water and the like, said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.8.  
     
     
         8 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein for a 0.75 liter champagne bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.74 to about 0.9.  
     
     
         9 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein for a 0.75 liter wine bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.8.  
     
     
         10 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein for a 1.0 liter wine bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.64 to about 0.79.  
     
     
         11 . A glass container according to    claim 1   , wherein the process further comprises the steps of: 
 providing a base setting zone for hardening the coating on the bases of said group of glass containers;    moving said group of glass containers at said third level to said base setting zone after said step of raising said group of glass containers from said second level;    hardening the coating medium on each of the bases of said group of glass containers at said base setting zone;    moving said group of glass containers at said third level form said base setting zone to said position directly above said conveyor; and    said coating of plastics material extends at least over part of said glass container's exterior surface wherein the ratio V is in a range form about 0.62 to about 0.86.    
     
     
         12 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein said coating is a duroplastic powder lacquer coating.  
     
     
         13 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein said coating is an acrylic resin lacquer coating obtained from a dispersion.  
     
     
         14 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein for a 0.33 liter beer bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.69 to about 0.85.  
     
     
         15 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein for a 0.5 liter beer bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.79.  
     
     
         16 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein for a 0.33 liter beverage bottle for holding lemonade, mineral water and the like, said ratio V is in the range from about 0.71 to about 0.87.  
     
     
         17 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein for a 1.0 liter beverage bottle for holding lemonade, mineral water and the like, said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.8.  
     
     
         18 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein for a 0.75 liter champagne bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.74 to about 0.9.  
     
     
         19 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein for a 0.75 liter wine bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.8.  
     
     
         20 . A glass container according to    claim 11   , wherein for a 1.0 liter wine bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.64 to about 0.79.  
     
     
         21 . A glass container comprising a coating of said plastics material extending at least over part of said glass container's exterior surface, and wherein the ratio V is in a range from about 0.62 to about 0.86.  
     
     
         22 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein said coating is a duroplastic powder lacquer coating.  
     
     
         23 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein said coating is an acrylic resin lacquer coating obtained from a dispersion.  
     
     
         24 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein for a 0.33 liter beer bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.69 to about 0.85.  
     
     
         25 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein for a 0.5 liter beer bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.79.  
     
     
         26 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein for a 0.33 liter beverage bottle for holding lemonade, mineral water and the like, said ratio V is in the range from about 0.71 to about 0.87.  
     
     
         27 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein for a 1.0 liter beverage bottle for holding lemonade, mineral water and the like, said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.8.  
     
     
         28 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein for a 0.75 liter champagne bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.74 to about 0.9.  
     
     
         29 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein for a 0.75 liter wine bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.65 to about 0.8.  
     
     
         30 . A glass container according to    claim 21   , wherein for a 1.0 liter wine bottle said ratio V is in the range from about 0.64 to 0.79.