Bottle having one or more internal projections

Abstract

A bottle comprising a neck that includes a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, a neck finish, and a radially-facing interior surface. The neck further includes one or more internal projections projecting in a radially-inwardly direction from the interior surface of the neck and axially overlapping at least a portion of the neck finish.

1 . A bottle comprising a neck that includes a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, said neck having:
 a neck finish;   a radially-facing interior surface; and   one or more internal projections projecting in a radially-inwardly direction from said interior surface and axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish.   
     
     
         2 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein said neck includes an axially-facing sealing surface and at least one of said one or more projections terminates at a point that is a predetermined distance below said sealing surface and that is axially-aligned with at least a portion of said neck finish. 
     
     
         3 . The bottle set forth in  claim 2  wherein said predetermined distance comprises 0.25-0.50 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein said one or more projections comprises a plurality of projections. 
     
     
         5 . The bottle set forth in  claim 4  wherein said projections of said plurality of projections are uniformly spaced about the internal circumference of said neck. 
     
     
         6 . The bottle set forth in  claim 4  wherein said projections of said plurality of projections are non-uniformly spaced about the internal circumference of said neck. 
     
     
         7 . The bottle set forth in  claim 4  wherein at least a portion of said neck having said projections has at least one of an undulating circumferential profile, a clamshell-shaped profile, a cog or spline-shaped profile, a keyway-shaped profile, a sawtooth-shaped profile, a sun-shaped profile, a badge-shaped profile, and a lantern-shaped profile. 
     
     
         8 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein each of said one or more projections has a radially-innermost end, and further wherein said radially-innermost end of at least one of said one or more projections is radiused. 
     
     
         9 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein each of said one or more projections has a radially-innermost end, and said radially-innermost end of at least one of said one or more projections is pointed. 
     
     
         10 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein said neck further includes one or more internal grooves extending in a radially-outwardly direction and axially along, said interior surface and axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish, each of said one or more grooves being disposed adjacent to at least one of said one or more projections. 
     
     
         11 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein said neck finish includes an axially-facing sealing surface and a mouth adjacent thereto, and at least a portion of said neck finish has an inside diameter that progressively narrows as the neck finish extends from said mouth in an axial direction away from said sealing surface such that at least a portion of said neck finish has a conical shape;
 and further wherein at least a portion of at least one of said one or more projections is disposed in said conically-shaped portion of said neck finish. 
 
     
     
         12 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein at least one of said one or more projections extends axially along said interior surface of said neck. 
     
     
         13 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein said one or more projections comprises an array of bumps, at least a portion of the array axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish. 
     
     
         14 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1  wherein said one or more projections extends circumferentially along said interior surface of said neck. 
     
     
         15 . The bottle set forth in  claim 14 , wherein said one or more circumferentially-extending projections comprises one or more circumferentially-extending rings. 
     
     
         16 . The bottle set forth in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said radially-facing interior surface is contoured to form a pocket in said neck, said pocket being configured to hold a piece of fruit therein and within the flow path of product contained within said bottle. 
     
     
         17 . A bottle comprising a neck that includes a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, said neck having:
 a neck finish;   an axially-facing sealing surface;   a radially-facing interior surface; and   a plurality of internal projections projecting in a radially-inwardly direction from said interior surface and axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish, wherein at least one of said plurality of projections terminates at a point that is a predetermined axial distance below said sealing surface and that is axially-aligned with at least a portion of said neck finish.   
     
     
         18 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17  wherein said predetermined distance comprises 0.25-0.50 inches. 
     
     
         19 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17  wherein said projections of said plurality of projections are uniformly spaced about the internal circumference of said neck. 
     
     
         20 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17  wherein said projections of said plurality of projections are non-uniformly spaced about the internal circumference of said neck. 
     
     
         21 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17  wherein at least a portion of said neck having said projections has at least one of an undulating circumferential profile, a clamshell-shaped profile, a cog or spline-shaped profile, a keyway-shaped profile, a sawtooth-shaped profile, a sun-shaped profile, a badge-shaped profile, and a lantern-shaped profile. 
     
     
         22 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17  wherein said neck further includes one or more internal grooves extending in a radially-outwardly direction and axially along said interior surface and axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish, each of said one or more grooves being disposed adjacent to at least one of said one or more projections. 
     
     
         23 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17 :
 wherein said neck finish includes an axially-facing sealing surface and a mouth adjacent thereto, and at least a portion of said neck finish has an inside diameter that progressively narrows as the neck finish extends from said mouth in an axial direction away from said sealing surface such that at least a portion of said neck finish has a conical shape;   and further wherein at least a portion of at least one of said one or more projections is disposed in said conically-shaped portion of said neck finish.   
     
     
         24 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17  wherein at least one of said one or more projections extends axially along said interior surface of said neck. 
     
     
         25 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17  wherein said one or more projections comprises an array of bumps, at least a portion of said array axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish. 
     
     
         26 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17  wherein said one or more projections extends circumferentially along said interior surface of said neck. 
     
     
         27 . The bottle set forth in  claim 26  wherein said one or more circumferentially-extending projections comprises one or more circumferentially-extending rings. 
     
     
         28 . The bottle set forth in  claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of said radially-facing interior surface is contoured to form a pocket in said neck, said pocket being configured to hold a piece of fruit therein and within the flow path of product contained within said bottle. 
     
     
         29 . A bottle comprising a neck that includes a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, said neck having:
 a neck finish;   a radially-facing interior surface; and   a plurality of internal projections projecting in a radially-inwardly direction from said interior surface and axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish; and   a plurality of internal grooves extending in a radially-outwardly direction and axially along said interior surface and axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish, each of said plurality of grooves being disposed adjacent to at least one of said plurality of projections.   
     
     
         30 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29  wherein said neck includes an axially-facing sealing surface and at least one of said one or more projections terminates at a point that is a predetermined axial distance below said sealing surface and that is axially-aligned with at least a portion of said neck finish. 
     
     
         31 . The bottle set forth in  claim 30  wherein said predetermined axial distance comprises 0.25-0.50 inches. 
     
     
         32 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29  wherein at least a portion of said neck having said projections has at least one of an undulating circumferential profile, a clamshell-shaped profile, a cog or spline-shaped profile, a keyway-shaped profile, a sawtooth-shaped profile, a sun-shaped profile, a badge-shaped profile, and a lantern-shaped profile. 
     
     
         33 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29  wherein each of said one or more projections has a radially-innermost end, and further wherein said radially-innermost end of at least one of said one or more projections is radiused. 
     
     
         34 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29  wherein each of said one or more projections has a radially-innermost end, and said radially-innermost end of at least one of said one or more projections is pointed. 
     
     
         35 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29 :
 wherein said neck finish includes an axially-facing sealing surface and a mouth adjacent thereto, and at least a portion of said neck finish has an inside diameters that progressively narrows as the neck finish extends from said mouth in an axial direction away from said sealing surface such that at least a portion of said neck finish has a conical shape;   and further wherein at least a portion of at least one of said one or more projections is disposed in said conically-shaped portion of said neck finish.   
     
     
         36 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29  wherein at least one of said one or more projections extends axially along said interior surface of said neck. 
     
     
         37 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29  wherein said one or more projections comprises an array of bumps, at least a portion of the array axially overlapping at least a portion of said neck finish. 
     
     
         38 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29  wherein said one or more projections extends circumferentially along said interior surface of said neck. 
     
     
         39 . The bottle set forth in  claim 38 , wherein said one or more circumferentially-extending projections comprises one or more circumferentially-extending rings. 
     
     
         40 . The bottle set forth in  claim 29 , wherein at least a portion of said radially-facing interior surface is contoured to form a pocket in said neck, said pocket being configured to hold a piece of fruit therein and within the flow path of product contained within said bottle.