# US 5,350,078 A · Beverage bottle

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- Number: US 5,350,078 A
- Document ID: US5350078A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/950,466
- Filed: 1992-09-24
- Granted: 1994-09-27
- Earliest claimed: 1992-09-24
- Assignees: Tropicana Products, Inc.
- Inventors: Jo Lee B. Potts; Joann H. Miller; Marvin W. Hodge; Griscom Bettle, III
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5350078A

## CPC

- B65D 23/102: {Gripping means formed in the walls, e.g. roughening, cavities, projections}
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES

## Abstract

A plastic bottle for beverages includes a body made of several straight or planar sidewalls, some of which are provided with arcuate grooves forming a finger grip. The bottle is also provided with a closure threadedly mounted so that it can be removed at will for dispensing a beverage. The container can be easily held during beverage dispensal by the finger grips.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plastic bottle for holding beverages comprising:
an elongated body; and
a neck extending vertically above said body and having an access opening;
said body having a substantially square cross section defined by four side walls, each of said side wall having a substantially vertical planar surface and a substantially planar shoulder sloping toward said neck;
three of said side walls having a substantially horizontal arcuate groove extending across said vertical surface, the grooves on two opposed side walls being sized and shaped to fit a person's finger, and the groove on the third side wall being shallower and having a larger radius of curvature than the grooves on the opposed side walls to form a hand grip for holding said bottle while a liquid is dispensed from said opening.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The bottle of claim 1 wherein each groove is provided with a central dimple for acting as a guide for a person's finger.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The bottle of claim 1 wherein at least one sidewall is without a groove.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The bottle of claim 1 wherein said neck is cylindrical.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The bottle of claim 1 further including closure means for closing said opening.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The plastic bottle of claim 1 wherein said hand grip is disposed above a geometric center of said bottle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The plastic bottle of claim 1 further comprising closure means for closing said bottle wherein said closure means includes tampering indication means.

### Claim 8

A plastic bottle for beverages comprising:
a body having a substantially square cross section and defined by a first set of substantially planar sidewalls, each said first sidewall having a horizontal arcuate groove, said grooves of said first set of planar sidewalls extending partially around said bottle, the grooves on two opposed sidewalls being sized and shaped to fit a person's finger, and the groove on an intermediate side wall being shallower and having a larger radius of curvature than the grooves on the opposed side walls to define a hand grip for holding said bottle while a liquid is poured out of said bottle, said body further being defined by a second sidewall with no groove;
a plurality of slanted shoulders extending upwardly from said sidewalls;
a cylindrical neck terminating said shoulders; and
a bottom wall.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The bottle of claim 8 wherein said grooves are disposed at about 1/3 of the height of said bottle from the top.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The bottle of claim 8 wherein said neck includes a cylindrical neck wall with an outer surface, and an outer thread disposed on said outer surface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The bottle of claim 10 further comprising a closure with an internal thread engaging said outer thread for closing said bottle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The bottle of claim 11 wherein said neck further includes an annular rib and said closure includes a first portion disposed above said rib and a second portion disposed below said rib.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The bottle of claim 12 wherein said first portion and said second portion are coupled by a frangible portion which allows said first portion to separate from said second portion when said closure is unscrewed to provide tampering indication.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The bottle of claim 8 wherein said bottle is made of a moldable plastic material.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The bottle of claim 8 wherein each said groove extends substantially across the width of the corresponding sidewall.