Plastic bottle for vending machines

Abstract

A plastic bottle specially sized and configured for use in conventional vending machines. The bottle has structurally reinforced upper and lower portions providing additional strength and resistance to transversely imposed stacking and crushing forces. By internally thickening the plastic in the neck and upper shoulder portion, and in the base and lower sidewall portion, reinforcement is provided. The outer surface of the sidewall of the bottle is perfectly right-circular cylindrical in configuration, having no discontinuities such as ribs or label panels to impede smooth rolling through the can channels in a vending machine. The bottle shoulder includes one portion which is horizontal and substantially planar, and a another portion which is curved. The curved portion is particularly abrupt, providing increased contained volume and more closely resembling the corresponding portion of a can. A low profile,“finish” cap provides additional bottle volume, and provides a substantially large surface to engage the wall of the vending machine channel. A dot of adhesive is ejection applied between a lower edge of the cap and the neck of the bottle, to provide tamper proof indicator.

1 . A plastic bottle, comprising: 
 a. an upper end, including a neck portion and a shoulder portion, said neck portion having external threads and an open upper end, said shoulder portion having a substantially planar annular section and a curved transition section, a lower end of said neck portion extending perpendicularly from an inner periphery of said planar section, said curved transition section extending outwardly and downwardly from an outer periphery of said planar section, said upper end having a first wall thickness;    b. a lower end, including a lower, curved sidewall portion and a base, said base being circular and having a convex central region, extending inwardly within the bottle, and an outer edge connected a lower edge of said curved sidewall portion, said lower end having said first wall thickness;    c. an intermediate sidewall portion between said upper end and said lower end, said intermediate sidewall portion having a second wall thickness, said first wall thickness being substantially greater than said second wall thickness.    
   
   
       2 . A bottle as in  claim 1  in which said first thickness is ⅛″ and said second thickness is 1/32″.  
   
   
       3 . A bottle as in  claim 1  in which the plastic is  25  or higher grain.  
   
   
       4 . A bottle as in  claim 1  further including a cap having internal threads, said cap being sized for screwing over said external threads of said neck portion.  
   
   
       5 . A bottle as in  claim 4  in which said cap has a lower edge, and in which a dot of adhesive material is applied to said lower edge and an adjacent external surface of said neck portion, said adhesive material being sufficiently hard so initially to provide rotational resistance and then to break free either from said cap or said external surface, when said cap is unscrewed from said bottle.  
   
   
       6 . A bottle as in  claim 5  in which said adhesive material is a hot melt adhesive or wax.  
   
   
       7 . A bottle as in  claim 1  in which said first wall thickness is approximately four times as thick as said second wall thickness.  
   
   
       8 . A bottle as in  claim 1  in which said intermediate sidewall portion has an outer diameter of approximately 2 11/16″, and said bottle has a height, extending from a lowermost edge of said lower end to said open upper end of said neck portion of approximately 4¾″.  
   
   
       9 . A bottle as in  claim 1  in which said neck portion is right-circular cylindrical, and has a diameter of approximately 28 mm, 38 mm, or 45 mm.  
   
   
       10 . A plastic bottle, comprising: 
 a. an upper end formed from plastic, including a neck portion and a shoulder portion, said neck portion having external threads and an open upper end, said shoulder portion having a substantially planar annular section and a curved transition section, a lower end of said neck portion extending perpendicularly from an inner periphery of said planar section, said curved transition section extending outwardly and downwardly from an outer periphery of said planar section, said upper end including first reinforcement means for resisting transversely compressive forces;    b. a lower end formed from plastic, including a lower, curved sidewall portion and a base, said base being circular and having a convex central region, extending inwardly within the bottle, and an outer edge connected a lower edge of said curved sidewall portion, said lower end including second reinforcement means for resisting transversely compressive forces; and,    c. an intermediate sidewall portion formed from plastic, said sidewall being between said upper end and said lower end, said intermediate sidewall portion having a substantially uniform sidewall thickness.    
   
   
       11 . A bottle as in  claim 10  in which said upper end has an inner surface and said lower end has an inner surface, and in which said first reinforcement means includes additional plastic material on said inner surface of said upper end effective to make said upper end thicker than said sidewall thickness, and said second reinforcement means includes additional plastic material on said inner surface of said lower end effective to make said lower end thicker than said sidewall thickness.  
   
   
       12 . A bottle as in  claim 11  in which said upper end and said lower end are approximately ⅛″ in thickness, and said sidewall thickness is approximately 1/32″.  
   
   
       13 . A bottle as in  claim 10  in which the plastic is 25 or higher grain.  
   
   
       14 . A bottle as in  claim 10  further including a cap having internal threads, said cap being sized for screwing over said external threads of said neck portion.  
   
   
       15 . A bottle as in  claim 14  in which said cap has a lower edge, an in which a dot of adhesive material is applied to said lower edge and an adjacent external surface of said neck portion, said adhesive material being sufficiently hard so initially to provide rotational resistance and then to break free either from said cap or said external surface, when said cap is unscrewed from said bottle.  
   
   
       16 . A bottle as in  claim 15  in which said adhesive material is a hot melt adhesive or wax.  
   
   
       17 . A bottle as in  claim 10  in which said intermediate sidewall portion has an outer diameter of approximately 2 11/16″, and said bottle has a height, extending from a lowermost edge of said lower end to said open upper end of said neck portion of approximately 4¾″.  
   
   
       18 . A bottle as in  claim 10  in which said neck portion is right-circular cylindrical, and has a diameter of approximately 28 mm, 38 mm, or 45 mm.