Bottle

Abstract

A bottle constructed to resist distortion and denting upon handling through distribution and/or expansion and contraction of its contents. An upper portion has a rounded upper shoulder and a series of grooves. A bottom portion is concave and has a plurality of alternating generally vertically extending long and short swirl grooves, the spaces between the long swirl grooves above the short swirl grooves being smooth to easily flex in and out to contract and expand. A main circumferential groove separates the upper and bottom portions and has a depth such that it can flex vertically when a vertical force is applied tending to push the upper portion against the bottom portion.

1 . A bottle comprising an upper portion, a bottom portion and a main horizontal circumferential groove separating the upper and bottom portions, the groove having a depth that resists substantial downward forces exerted on the upper portion so as to retain the upper portion in its original shape.  
   
   
       2 . A bottle according to  claim 1 , the bottom portion comprising a plurality of generally vertically extending swirl grooves, including long swirl grooves alternating with short swirl grooves, a smooth area being located between the long swirl grooves above the intervening short swirl grooves.  
   
   
       3 . A bottle according to  claim 2 , wherein the smooth areas are adapted to flex inwardly and outwardly upon a pressure differential between the inside and outside of the bottle.  
   
   
       4 . A bottle according to  claim 3 , wherein the bottom portion of the bottle is concave.  
   
   
       5 . A bottle according to  claim 1 , wherein the main circumferential groove has sufficient depth to flex vertically when a vertical force is applied tending to push the upper portion against the bottom portion, without the upper portion skewing laterally or collapsing onto the lower portion.  
   
   
       6 . A bottle according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion includes at the top thereof a rounded shoulder.  
   
   
       7 . A bottle according to  claim 6 , including a label area below the rounded shoulder having a diameter less than the maximum diameter of the shoulder and the radius of curvature between the label area and the upper rounded shoulder is sufficiently large to resist denting by returning a dented area to its original shape.  
   
   
       8 . A bottle comprising an upper portion with a rounded shoulder, a bottom portion having alternating long and short generally vertical extending swirl grooves and a main circumferential groove separating the upper and bottom portions, whereby the bottle accommodates expansion and contraction of the contents of the bottle without distortion or denting.  
   
   
       9 . A bottle according to  claim 8 , including a plurality of circumferential grooves in the upper portion having a depth less than that of the main circumferential groove.  
   
   
       10 . A bottle according to  claim 8 , wherein the main circumferential groove has sufficient depth to flex vertically when a vertical force is applied tending to push the upper portion against the bottom portion, without the upper portion skewing laterally or collapsing onto the lower portion.  
   
   
       11 . A bottle comprising an upper portion having a rounded upper shoulder, a main circumferential groove below the upper portion, and a bottom portion beneath the main circumferential groove, the rounded shoulder having a radius of curvature selected such that when the inside of the bottle is under pressure and the rounded upper shoulder is dented, the dented area will return to its original shape.  
   
   
       12 . A bottle according to  claim 11 , the upper portion beneath the rounded upper shoulder having a plurality of circumferential grooves of less depth than the main circumferential groove.  
   
   
       13 . A bottle according to  claim 12 , the bottom portion comprising a plurality of generally vertically extending swirl grooves, including long swirl grooves alternating with short swirl grooves, a smooth area being located between the long swirl grooves above the intervening short swirl grooves.  
   
   
       14 . A bottle according to  claim 13 , wherein the smooth areas are adapted to flex inwardly and outwardly upon a pressure differential between the inside and outside of the bottle.  
   
   
       15 . A bottle according to  claim 14 , wherein there are three long swirl grooves and three short swirl grooves.