Plastics container

Abstract

A blow moulded container has a body portion defining a chamber for storing liquid and a neck portion extending from the body portion. The body portion defines a central longitudinal axis and said neck portion is coaxial therewith. The body portion defines an upper shoulder region of curved profile and the neck portion defines a circular cylindrical portion having side walls concentric with and parallel to said central longitudinal axis. The lower end of the cylindrical portion defines a closed loop and has a non-planar intersection with the shoulder region of the body portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plastics container for storing liquid, the container comprising
 a blow-molded plastic body with a first direction,   wherein the body has a footprint having a length along an axis extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction,   wherein the footprint has a width in the first direction which varies along the axis and is greater in a middle region of the footprint than at opposing ends of the footprint along the axis.   
     
     
         2 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the body defines a chamber that contains milk. 
     
     
         3 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the body has a single integral handle defining an aperture that extends through the body in the first direction. 
     
     
         4 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the footprint defines a truncated diamond shape having:
 two generally opposing, longitudinal end surfaces that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis; and 
 a first pair of generally straight side surfaces and a second pair of generally straight side surfaces on an opposite side of the axis from the first pair with respect to the perpendicular direction, wherein the generally straight side surfaces of each said pair are arranged between said longitudinal end surfaces at an acute angle with respect to the axis and at an obtuse angle with respect to each other. 
 
     
     
         5 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the middle region of the footprint defines symmetric transverse ends that oppose each other in the perpendicular direction, one on either side of the axis. 
     
     
         6 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the container has a mold split line aligned with the axis of the footprint, and said integral handle is bisected by the mold split line. 
     
     
         7 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the width of the footprint is greatest at the middle region and smallest at either longitudinal end. 
     
     
         8 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the footprint is greatest in the middle region and the width of the footprint decreases along surfaces arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         9 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the container has a neck extending from the body, the neck having an open passageway therethrough for passage of liquid to/from the chamber, and wherein the body has a central vertical axis and said open passageway is concentric with the central vertical axis. 
     
     
         10 . A container according to  claim 9  wherein the neck intersects the body in a closed loop with a non-planar profile with respect to a direction perpendicular to the central vertical axis. 
     
     
         11 . A container according to  claim 10  wherein the neck defines a cylindrical portion, and the closed loop is located at a transition between the cylindrical portion and an upper part of the body. 
     
     
         12 . A container according to  claim 11  wherein the closed loop lies on a surface at a fixed distance from the central vertical axis, and has a pair of maxima and a pair of minima disposed equidistantly from the central vertical axis around the circumference of the cylindrical portion. 
     
     
         13 . A container according to  claim 11  wherein the cylindrical portion defines a cylindrical wall having a height in a direction parallel to the central vertical axis which varies in a circumferential direction. 
     
     
         14 . A container according to  claim 10  wherein the neck includes a cylindrical portion at a transition with an upper part of the body, wherein cylindrical portion defines a cylindrical wall, the lower end of which defines a non-planar intersection with the body. 
     
     
         15 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the footprint defines a truncated diamond shape having two generally opposing longitudinal end surfaces that are parallel to each other, and a respective pair of generally straight side surfaces extending from each longitudinal end surface at an acute angle with respect to the axis,
 wherein each said generally straight side surface of a said respective pair is parallel to a said generally straight side surface of the other said respective pair. 
 
     
     
         16 . A container according to  claim 1 ,
 comprising a neck extending from the body, the neck having an open passageway that extends through the neck and has a circular cross-section having a central axis,   wherein the body comprises a plurality of sides that respectively include the generally straight side surfaces and that are parallel to the central axis, and   wherein the body comprises an intermediate portion extending between the plurality of sides and the neck and having a convex outer surface.   
     
     
         17 . A plastics container for storing liquid, the container comprising
 a blow-molded plastic body defining a chamber that contains milk; and   a neck defining an open passageway for passage of liquid to/from the chamber,   wherein the body has a single integral handle defining an aperture that extends through the body,   wherein the body has a vertical axis and said open passageway is concentric with the vertical axis,   wherein the body has a mold split line which bisects the integral handle, and   wherein the body has a cross section below the integral handle having a width perpendicular to and which varies along a plane that includes the mold split line, so that the width is greater in a middle region of the cross section than at either end of the cross section along an axis of the cross section defined by an intersection of the plane and the cross section, and defining a truncated diamond shape that has two generally opposing end surfaces that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the cross section axis and that has a first pair of generally straight side surfaces and a second pair of generally straight side surfaces on an opposite side of the cross section axis from the first pair with respect to the width, wherein the generally straight side surfaces of each said pair are arranged between the end surfaces at an acute angle with respect to the cross section axis and at an obtuse angle with respect to each other.   
     
     
         18 . A container according to  claim 17  wherein a pair of said generally straight side surfaces extend from each end surface to a maximum width of the cross section in a direction perpendicular to the cross section axis. 
     
     
         19 . A container according to  claim 17  wherein the middle region of the cross section defines symmetric ends generally opposing each other in the perpendicular direction, one on either side of the cross section axis. 
     
     
         20 . A plastics container for storing liquid, the container comprising
 a blow molded plastic body defining a chamber that contains milk; and   a neck defining an open passageway for passage of liquid to/from the chamber   wherein the body has a single integral handle defining an aperture that extends through the body,   wherein the body has a vertical axis and said open passageway is concentric with the vertical axis,   wherein the body has a mold split line which bisects the integral handle, and   wherein the body has a cross section defining a truncated diamond shape so that a longitudinal axis of the truncated diamond shape is aligned with the mold split line and a cross axis of the truncated diamond shape is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the cross section terminates along the longitudinal axis at longitudinal end surfaces extending in respective planes that are generally parallel to said cross axis, and wherein the cross section has a first pair of generally straight side surfaces and a second pair of generally straight side surfaces on an opposite side of the longitudinal axis from the first pair with respect to the cross axis, wherein the generally straight side surfaces of each said pair are arranged between the longitudinal end surfaces at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis and at an obtuse angle with respect to each other and extend from each longitudinal end surface to a maximum width of the cross section.