Symmetrically stackable bottle with vertical reinforcing aperture spanned by handle

Abstract

A stackable bottle is fully penetrated from a first side to an opposing side by an aperture, which is spanned by a handle. The bottle is balanced about this handle, making it easy to lift, carry, pour, or mount atop a water dispenser. Mutually engaging stacking contours, comprising raised and recessed regions, are incorporated into these two sides, so that the bottles may be conveniently stacked one atop the next. The pattern of stacking contours is inversely symmetrical about a longitudinal axis, so one or more bottles of a stack may be turned upside down without affecting stackability. The bottle looks the same whether upside-down or right-side-up; there is no difference between the top and bottom. The pattern of stacking contours is also inversely symmetrical about a latitudinal axis, so that one or more bottles of a stack may be rotated 180 degrees about a vertical axis without affecting stackability. The bottles feature a filling neck with closure means at one end, and an integrally molded standing base at the opposite end from said filling neck, so the bottle may be stood thereupon in an open state without spillage. The walls of the apertures become vertically aligned in a stack, enhancing stacking strength. These aperture walls, by their interconnection with each other, and with the first side and the opposing side, also add shear strength and structural integrity to the container. Bursting strength is also enhanced by the inclusion of this aperture, since the average effective structural circumference is reduced.

1 . A stackable bottle, fully penetrated from a first side to an opposing side, by a walled aperture, said aperture being spanned by a handle, said bottle having mutually engaging stacking contours on said first side and said opposing side, wherein; 
 Said contours are inversely symmetrical about a longitudinal axis so that any bottle of a stack may be flipped upside-down without affecting stackability.    
     
     
         2 . The stackable bottle in  claim 1 , wherein; 
 said contours are additionally inversely symmetrical about a latitudinal axis, when viewed from above, so that any bottle of a stack may be rotated 180 degrees about a vertical axis without affecting stackability.    
     
     
         3 . The stackable bottle in  claim 1  wherein said stacking contours comprise relatively raised regions and relatively recessed regions.  
     
     
         4 . The stackable bottle in  claim 2  wherein said stacking contours comprise relatively raised regions and relatively recessed regions.  
     
     
         5 . The stackable bottle in  claim 1  wherein said stacking contours comprise a substantially radial pattern of relatively raised regions and relatively recessed regions.  
     
     
         6 . The stackable bottle in  claim 2  wherein said stacking contours comprise a substantially radial pattern of relatively raised regions and relatively recessed regions.  
     
     
         7 . The stackable bottle in  claim 3  wherein said relatively raised regions comprise bumps and said relatively recessed regions comprise dimples.  
     
     
         8 . The stackable bottle in  claim 4  wherein said relatively raised regions comprise bumps and said relatively recessed regions comprise dimples.  
     
     
         9 . The stackable bottle in  claim 7  wherein said bumps and said dimples are substantially elongate.  
     
     
         10 . The stackable bottle in  claim 8  wherein said bumps and said dimples are substantially elongate.  
     
     
         11 . The stackable bottle in  claim 1 , further comprising a filling neck at one end of said bottle.  
     
     
         12 . The stackable bottle in  claim 2 , further comprising a filling neck at one end of said bottle.  
     
     
         13 . The stackable bottle of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 two inner parting lines that circuit the midsection of said aperture, and run along the sides of the handle;    an outer parting line that circuits the exterior of the bottle at its widest point, when viewed from above; 
 whereby said bottle may be produced from a two-piece mold.  
   
     
     
         14 . The stackable bottle of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 two inner parting lines that circuit the midsection of said aperture, and run along the sides of the handle;    an outer parting line that circuits the exterior of the bottle at its widest point, when viewed from above; 
 whereby said bottle may be produced from a two-piece mold.  
   
     
     
         15 . The stackable bottle of  claim 13 , wherein said outer parting line begins and ends at said filling neck.  
     
     
         16 . The stackable bottle of  claim 14 , wherein said outer parting line begins and ends at said filling neck.  
     
     
         17 . The stackable bottle of  claim 11 , further comprising a standing base opposite said filling neck.  
     
     
         18 . The stackable bottle of  claim 12 , further comprising a standing base opposite said filling neck.  
     
     
         19 . The stackable bottle of  claim 1 , further comprising a standing base at one end.  
     
     
         20 . The stackable bottle of  claim 2 , further comprising a standing base at one end.  
     
     
         21 . The stackable bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said stacking contours on said first side and said opposing side are substantially identical, so that the bottle looks substantially the same right-side-up as upside-down.  
     
     
         22 . The stackable bottle of  claim 2 , wherein said stacking contours on said first side and said opposing side are substantially identical, so that the bottle looks substantially the same right-side-up as upside-down.  
     
     
         23 . The stackable bottle in  claim 3  wherein said relatively raised regions of said stacking contours comprise a pattern that provides sufficient support area, sufficiently distributed, forming a sufficient footprint, that the bottle may be supported solely thereupon in a stable manner when the bottle is laying upon a substantially flat surface in the stacking position.  
     
     
         24 . The stackable bottle in  claim 4  wherein said relatively raised regions of said stacking contours comprise a pattern that provides sufficient support area, sufficiently distributed, forming a sufficient footprint, that the bottle may be supported solely thereupon in a stable manner when the bottle is laying upon a substantially flat surface in the stacking position.