Plastic beverage container

Abstract

A beverage container including a finger insertion indentation is provided. The beverage container includes a barrel portion having a substantially square cross-sectional shape defined by a plurality of walls including at least a front wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall. The container also includes a pair of indentations formed in at least one of the front and rear walls for insertion of, and engagement with, a finger, and a column portion separating the pair of indentations into left and right portions. Each of the pair of indentations has a bottom wall, a first side wall extending from the bottom wall to the column portion, and a second side wall extending from the bottom wall and facing the first side wall, the second side wall having a peak portion extending along a corner portion of the substantially square cross-sectional shape.

1 . A beverage container, comprising:
 a barrel portion having a substantially square cross-sectional shape defined by a plurality of walls including at least a front wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall;   a pair of indentations formed in at least one of the front and rear walls for insertion of, and engagement with, a finger; and   a column portion separating the pair of indentations into left and right portions, wherein each of the pair of indentations has a bottom wall, a first side wall extending from the bottom wall to the column portion, and a second side wall extending from the bottom wall and facing the first side wall, the second side wall having a peak portion extending along a corner portion of the substantially square cross-sectional shape.   
   
   
       2 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the first side wall extends from the bottom wall at a more gradual angle than the second side wall. 
   
   
       3 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the first side wall has a portion sloped with respect to an up and down direction of the container such that a tip of the finger inserted into the indentation is inclined toward a center axis of the container. 
   
   
       4 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the indentation has a third side wall defining an upper portion connecting the first side wall and the second side wall, the third side wall being curved upwardly. 
   
   
       5 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of indentations are formed in the front and rear walls facing at each other. 
   
   
       6 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls include corner walls between the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall, and the right wall;
 wherein the peak portion formed in the front wall extends along a corner connecting the front wall and the corner wall; and   wherein the peak portion formed in the rear wall extends along a corner connecting the rear wall and the corner wall.   
   
   
       7 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the indentation is positioned close to the center of gravity of the beverage container when the beverage container is filled with a fluid. 
   
   
       8 . The beverage container of  claim 7 , wherein the cross-sectional shape is a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape having a length of the front and rear walls longer than a length of the left and right side walls, and
 wherein the barrel portion comprises:
 an upper barrel portion; 
 a lower barrel portion and; 
 a center barrel portion between the upper barrel portion and the lower barrel portion such that the center of gravity is located within the center barrel portion, the center barrel portion having the indentations and constricted portions on the left and right side walls, the constricted portions curving more inwardly than the upper barrel portion and the lower barrel portion when viewed from the front and rear sides, 
   
   
   
       9 . The beverage container of  claim 8 , wherein the constricted portions are formed to span over the center barrel. 
   
   
       10 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shoulder portion formed contiguously with a top end of the barrel portion;   a bottom portion formed contiguously with a bottom end of the barrel portion; and   a reinforcing concave rib portion formed on at least one of the shoulder portion, the barrel portion, and the bottom portion, wherein a cross-sectional shape at the concave rib is dissimilar to the substantially square cross-sectional shape.