Drip-free glass bottles having a circumferential channel and methods of making and using such bottles

A method for enabling drip free pouring, said method comprising:

• providing a glass bottle having a neck comprising (i) a lip extending from an inner edge defining a substantially round bottle orifice to an outer edge, wherein said lip forms a concentric ring around the bottle orifice;
• (ii) a flow guide extending downward from the outer edge of the lip and having an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the flow guide is substantially flat and extends downward from the outer edge of the lip in a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle and wherein the flow guide is about 1-3.5 mm wide, as measured from the top of the flow guide to the bottom of the flow guide along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle;
• (iii) a recessed circumferential channel located immediately below the flow guide, said channel having an upper edge that defines the lower edge of the flow guide and having a lower edge, wherein the channel is about 1-3 mm wide, as measured from the top of the channel to the bottom of the channel along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle, and the channel is about 0.75-2.5 mm deep, as measured along a line perpendicular to the center axis of the bottle;
• (iv) an interior bore that is substantially cylindrical from at least the region containing the circumferential channel upward to the inner edge of the lip;
• (v) an optional neck collar extending outward from the neck and forming a raised band around the exterior surface of the neck and located below the circumferential channel;
• and (vi) an optional screw thread assembly extending outward from the neck and forming raised screw threads around the exterior surface of the neck and located below the circumferential channel.

A method for making a drip-free glass bottle having a neck, said method comprising:

• (i) forming a lip at the upper end of the neck, said lip extending from an inner edge defining a substantially round bottle orifice to an outer edge, wherein said lip forms a concentric ring around the bottle orifice;
• (ii) forming a flow guide in an upper region of the neck, said flow guide extending downward from the outer edge of the lip and having an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the flow guide is substantially flat and extends downward from the outer edge of the lip in a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle and wherein the flow guide is about 1-3.5 mm wide, as measured from the top of the flow guide to the bottom of the flow guide along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle;
• (iii) forming a recessed circumferential channel in an upper region of the neck, said channel located immediately below the flow guide and said channel having an upper edge that defines the lower edge of the flow guide and having a lower edge, wherein the channel is about 1-3 mm wide, as measured from the top of the channel to the bottom of the channel along a line parallel to the center axis of the bottle, and the channel is about 0.75-2.5 mm deep, as measured along a line perpendicular to the center axis of the bottle;
• (iv) forming an interior bore in the neck, wherein said interior bore is substantially cylindrical from at least the region containing the circumferential channel upward to the inner edge of the lip;
• (v) optionally forming a neck collar in an upper region of the neck, said neck collar extending outward from the neck and forming a raised band around the exterior surface of the neck and located below the circumferential channel;
• and
• (vi) optionally forming a screw thread assembly in an upper region of the neck, said screw thread assembly extending outward from the neck and forming raised screw threads around the exterior surface of the neck and located below the circumferential channel.