U.S. patent application number 10/747991 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-30 for bottle with soft feel handle.
This patent application is currently assigned to Unilever Home & Personal Care USA. Invention is credited to Giblin, Edward John, Simone, Jaimee Terese.
Application Number | 20050139574 10/747991 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34700824 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050139574 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Simone, Jaimee Terese ; et
al. |
June 30, 2005 |
Bottle with soft feel handle
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a bottle with a handle,
wherein the handle has a covering. The bottle has a base, a top
part, and sides. The handle is either on the side or top art of the
bottle. The material for the handle covering is preferably a soft
feel material.
Inventors: |
Simone, Jaimee Terese;
(Livepool, NY) ; Giblin, Edward John; (Hopatcong,
NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
UNILEVER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
700 SYLVAN AVENUE,
BLDG C2 SOUTH
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS
NJ
07632-3100
US
|
Assignee: |
Unilever Home & Personal Care
USA
|
Family ID: |
34700824 |
Appl. No.: |
10/747991 |
Filed: |
December 30, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/398 ;
215/12.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 23/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/398 ;
215/012.2 |
International
Class: |
B65D 023/10; B65D
023/08; B65D 023/02; B65D 023/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bottle having a base, a top part, sides, and a handle, the
handle having a covering.
2. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the covering is comprised
of a material having a different composition than the bottle.
3. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the
covering is a soft feel material.
4. A bottle according to claim 3, wherein the covering covers at
least 20% of the handle.
5. A bottle according to claim 3, wherein the covering covers at
least 30% of the handle.
6. A bottle according to claim 3, wherein the covering covers at
least 50% of the handle.
7. A bottle according to claim 3, wherein the covering covers at
least 65% of the handle.
8. A bottle according to claim 3, wherein the covering covers at
least 80% of the handle.
9. A bottle according to claim 3, wherein the covering covers at
least 100% of the handle.
10. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the soft feel material
is selected from the group consisting of cataloy polyolefin,
thermoplastic olefin, thermoplastic elastomer, lacquer, and soft
feel paint.
11. A bottle according to claim 3, wherein the soft feel material
is selected from the group consisting of cataloy, polyolefin
thermoplastic olefin, thermoplastic elastomer, lacquer, and soft
feel paint.
12. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the covering is
comprised of at least two labels.
13. A bottle according to claim 3 wherein the covering is comprised
of at least two labels.
14. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the bottle contains a
heavy duty liquid laundry detergent.
15. A bottle according to claim 3, wherein the bottle contains a
heavy duty liquid laundry detergent.
16. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the covering has a
thickness of 2-12 mils.
17. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the covering has a
thickness of 2-8 mils.
18. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the handle is on the top
part of the bottle.
19. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the handle is on a side
of the bottle.
20. A bottle according to claim 1, wherein the bottle is made of a
material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene,
polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamides and/or polyethylene
terephthalate, polyvinylchloride, and polystyrene, including
multilayer combinations thereof.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to a bottle comprising a
handle having a covering. More particularly, the invention is
directed to a bottle comprising a handle having a soft feel label
as a covering.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Bottles are widely used in the consumer goods industry for
packaging various types of products, especially fluid products.
Such bottles are normally made of relatively hard materials such as
plastic, glass, or metal. Such bottles also commonly have a handle
which provide the user with a convenient way to carry or handle the
bottle for its intended use such as pouring. The handle is
typically made of the same material as the bottle body and thus is
also relatively hard. Also, the handle typically has a smooth
finish as does the bottle typically. While these handles provide
functionality for the consumer, they can be uncomfortable to the
consumer when carrying or using the bottle. The smooth finish on
the handle can also make it difficult for the user to maneuver the
bottle to pour out the contents.
[0003] Bottle designers and manufactures have developed various
bottle handle designs in an attempt to make the handle more
comfortable for the consumer and provide the consumer with better
maneuverability of the bottle during use. These various designs are
evident by a quick look at the grocery store shelves. However, the
designs have primarily focused on changing the shape of the handles
to increase the user's comfort and maneuverability during use.
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a bottle
having a handle that provides the consumer with greater comfort
during lifting and ease of maneuverability during use.
[0005] Other objects of the present invention will become apparent
to those skilled in the art by reference to the specification.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a
bottle having a handle, wherein the handle has a covering which
covers at least a portion of the handle.
[0007] In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a
bottle having a handle, wherein the handle has a covering which
covers at least a portion of the handle and wherein the material
covering the handle is comprised of a different composition than
the bottle material.
[0008] In a third aspect, the present invention is directed to a
bottle having a handle, wherein the handle has a covering which
covers at least a portion of the handle and wherein the covering
has an outer surface made of a soft feel material.
[0009] In a fourth aspect, the present invention is directed to a
bottle having a base, a top part and sides, the bottle comprising a
handle located on either a side or top part of the bottle, wherein
the handle has a covering which covers at least a portion of the
handle and wherein the covering has an outer surface made of a soft
feel material.
[0010] The bottle of the present invention provides the consumer
with a bottle with a handle that has a more luxurious feel and make
it more enjoyable and easier for the consumer to use. Furthermore,
the bottle will provide the marketer and retail outlet with a
bottle that distinguished itself from other bottles and packaging
on the store shelves.
[0011] By soft feel material it is meant the property of the
outermost layer of the material has a Shore A or Shore D hardness
(ASTM D 2240) of from at least 35, preferably at least 40 to up to
80, more preferably up to 70 and even more preferably up to 60, and
including all ranges subsumed therein.
[0012] All numerical ranges and percentages in this specification
and claims are intended to be modified by the term about.
[0013] As used herein, the term "comprising" means that a specified
material or element is present, optionally together a further
material or element, and includes including, made up of, composed
of, consisting and/or consisting essentially of.
[0014] For a more complete understanding of the above and other
features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made
to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and
to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle of the invention
with the handle on the side of the bottle, the handle having a
cover in accordance with the invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bottle of the invention
with the handle on the top part of the bottle, the handle having a
cover in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The invention relates to a bottle having a handle where the
handle has a covering which covers at least a portion of the
handle. Preferably, the covering is made of a soft feel
material.
[0018] The term bottle hereby should be understood generally as a
container for any form of product, especially fluid products, fluid
products including liquids, as well as flowing materials such as
powders or granules. The bottle of the invention is preferably a
polymeric bottle, although other bottles such as glass, metallic,
and paperboard may be used.
[0019] Preferred bottle materials with which this invention may be
used include, but are not limited to: polypropylene (PP),
polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polyamides (PA) and/or
polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyvinylchloride (PVC); and
polystyrene (PS) including multilayer combinations thereof. The
bottle walls may comprise one or more layers of a single material
or a combination of various materials.
[0020] The bottle of the invention may be made by conventional
techniques such as blow molding. The bottle may be of any form or
size suitable for storing, packaging, or dispensing its contents
for its intended use. While the bottle may be of any size, it is
preferable that the bottle has a capacity of 0.05 to 15 L, more
preferably, 0.1 to 5 L, and even more preferably from 0.2 to 2.5
L.
[0021] The bottle has a base. By a base it should be understood a
part of the bottle on which the bottle is left to stand up-right.
This part my be flat, or may for example be formed from a moulded
tripod, or from a flat ring. Many types of bases are know in the
art, the main feature of such a base being to hold the bottle in a
stable position on a flat supporting surface.
[0022] The bottle further comprises a top part. The top part is
typically the part of the bottle opposed to the base. The top is
commonly the part of the bottle which provides an exit for the
content of the bottle.
[0023] The bottle also comprises sides. The sides are the surfaces
which generally speaking are joining the top part and the base of
the bottle. Typically, when the bottle is upright, the sides are
substantially vertical and perpendicular to the base. The sides may
also have a curved or relatively complex shape depending on the
bottle considered. The sides are, in some instances, the part of
the bottle which provides an exit for the content of the
bottle.
[0024] The bottle also comprises a handle located on either a side
of the bottle or on the top part. The handle according to the
invention is normally forming a recess, the recess being such that
a user may slide a hand in the recess to hold the bottle by the
handle.
[0025] In accordance with the invention, a covering is on at least
a portion of the handle. The covering can be one or more labels
which are applied by conventional techniques. Preferably the
covering is applied on the handle by in-mold labeling (IML). Other
techniques which may be used include, without limitation,
pressure-sensitive or stretch or shrink-on labeling or other known
techniques. Preferably, the handle is covered by two labels, one
applied on the front portion of the handle and the second applied
on the back portion of the handle. The two labels are preferably
sufficiently large such that when they are wrapped around the
surface of the bottle handle they will overlap thereby covering the
complete surface area of the handle. Preferably the handle covering
is applied at the same time other labeling is applied to the
bottle.
[0026] The covering could also be a paint product that is applied
to the handle by convention paint application techniques. Examples
of suitable paints that provide a soft feel effect include paints
with Orgasol additive which is commercially available from Atofina.
Other suitable commercially available paints include Lanco PP1362D,
PP1362SF, 1382LF, 1400SF, CP1481F, CP1481SF, PE1544F, A1601, A1602,
D2S, HM1666, SM2003, Glidd 2312, Glidd 5118, Glidd 5575, Glidd
5618, LiquiMatt 5730, and LiquiMatt 6375 all commercially available
from Lubrizol. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co. also offers soft
touch coatings/paint commercially available under the names
VelvaShield and Aqua.about.DekoSoft.
[0027] The covering can also include a coating that is applied by
conventional coating techniques. For example, a lacquer such as
Silk Touch Lacquer 43829 commercially available from SIPCA North
America may be used. These coating may be applied to the bottle
handle directly, however they are preferably applied to a label to
be applied to the bottle handle. The coatings may be applied by
conventional coating techniques including, without limitation,
gravure printing press, screen printing, Thermage printing, and
offset flexography.
[0028] The base layer of a label may be made of any suitable
polymeric material, e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene (HDPE, MDPE,
LDPE, LLDPE), polypropylene (PP, OPP), blends of PP and PE,
polyvinyl. chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (EPET, PETG,
OPET) and polystyrene (PS, HIPS). Polypropylene and polyethylene
are preferred for use with in-mold labels.
[0029] Preferably the covering on the bottle handle is a soft feel
material or is a label coated with a soft feel material. Soft feel
materials include without limitation, for example, cataloy
polyolefins, thermoplastic olefin resins, thermoplastic elastomers
or silk touch type lacquers such as 43829 Silk Touch Lacquer
commercially available from SIPCA North America. Such soft feel
materials are disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,503,619;
5,733,617; 5,250,343, 5,677,055; 5,585,193; 5,594,070; 5,151,309;
5,968,431, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0155283 A1,
and EP 0 667 234 A1, the disclosures all of which are incorporated
herein by reference. Soft feel materials are commercially available
from numerous suppliers including, Basell Polyolefins Company N.V.,
Bayer, Advanced Elastomer Systems, Monsanto Company, Multi-Color
Corporation, and Kraton. A preferred soft feel material is Adflex Q
302 B from Basell Polyolefins Company N.V.
[0030] The covering on the bottle handle may cover from e.g., 20%
to 100% of the surface of the bottle handle. Preferably the label
covers at least 30% of the surface of the bottle handle. More
preferably, the covering covers at least 50% of the surface of the
bottle handle, more preferably at least 65%, and even more
preferably at least 80%, and most preferably 100% of the surface of
the bottle handle, and including all ranges subsumed therein.
[0031] The covering may have any thickness. The label thickness for
an IML (in-mold label) usually ranges from 2 to 12 mils, but could
be thinner for stretch and shrink-on labels. More preferably, the
covering/label thickness ranges from 2 to 8 mils.
[0032] Preferably, at least a portion of the label covering the
surface of the bottle handle will include indicia such as product
information. The label may also be a different color than the
bottle.
[0033] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a bottle in
accordance with the present invention wherein the bottle handle is
on the side of the bottle. FIG. 2 shows a bottle in accordance with
the present invention wherein the bottle handle is on the top part
of the bottle. The bottle 2 in each embodiment has a base 4, a top
part 6, and sides 8. In FIG. 1, the bottle 2 has a handle 10 on its
side 8. In FIG. 2, the bottle 2 has a handle 10 on its top part 6.
In each embodiment, the handle 10 has a covering 12 which covers at
least a portion of the handle 10.
[0034] The cover on the handle may cover only certain parts of the
handle, purposely leaving other parts bare in order to provide a
benefit to the user, such as a better grip or a more comfortable
grip of the handle. For instance, in FIG. 1 the handle is covered
in some parts 14 and purposely left bare in other parts 16.
[0035] The bottle of the present invention may have any type of
contents that are stored in bottles, including home and personal
care products and food products. A preferred product for such
bottles are liquid laundry detergent and liquid fabric treatment
compositions such as fabric softeners.
[0036] It should be understood of course that the specific forms of
the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be
representative only as certain changes may be made therein without
departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly,
reference should be made to the following appended claims in
determining the full scope of the invention.
* * * * *