Connectable beverage bottle

Abstract

The present invention provides a connectable beverage bottle comprising: a hollow bottle body comprising a central cavity and a side wall configured to have a front vertical bottle locking protrusion, the front vertical bottle locking projection is configured to have a horizontal overhang, a left vertical projection bent leftwards and outwards, and a left vertical projection bent rightwards and outwards; a rear vertical bottle locking recess having a left inwardly curved vertical recess and a right inwardly curved vertical recess; and a flat bottom having a laterally elongated central recess with alternating concave and convex edge portions, the flat bottom having a laterally elongated central recess; the plurality of connectable beverage bottles are configured to be interconnectable with each other.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This international application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application No. 18 / 220,794, filed on July 11, 2023; and claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application No. 18 / 206,896, filed on June 7, 2023; and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 389,117, filed on July 14, 2022; all three applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of beverage bottles for industrial manufacturing, and more particularly to methods and systems for connectable beverage bottles having manufacturable features. Background Art

[0004] Interlocking connectable beverage bottle designs are well known and offer opportunities for improved storage density and therefore reduced logistical costs for shipping and storage.

[0005] However, such interlocking connectable beverage bottle designs have not gained widespread use because they have proven difficult or impossible to manufacture using both conventional and state-of-the-art bottle molding methods.

[0006]

[0013] In view of the foregoing, therefore, it can be appreciated that a need remains for new and improved connectable beverage bottles manufactured utilizing state-of-the-art methods. Summary of the invention

[0007] The foregoing needs are met, to a large extent, by the present invention, wherein, in its various aspects, enhancements are provided to existing models of connectable beverage bottles for the purpose of manufacturability.

[0008] In one aspect, a connectable beverage bottle may include:

[0009] a) A hollow body comprising:

[0010] i. a bottle top comprising a bottle opening such that the bottle opening provides access to the central cavity of the hollow body;

[0011] ii. a side wall forming the central cavity, wherein the side wall comprises:

[0012] 1. a vertical bottle locking projection positioned on a first side of the side wall; and

[0013] 2. a vertical bottle locking recess positioned on the second side of the side wall such that the vertical bottle locking recess is relatively positioned relative to the vertical bottle locking protrusion;

[0014] Such that the vertical bottle locking projection can be configured to slide into a corresponding bottle locking recess of a first similar connectable beverage bottle so that the connectable beverage bottle can be connected to the first similar connectable beverage bottle; and

[0015] Such that the vertical bottle locking recess may be configured to slidably receive a corresponding bottle locking protrusion of a second similar connectable beverage bottle such that the connectable beverage bottle may be connected to the second similar connectable beverage bottle.

[0016] In a related aspect, the vertical bottle locking recess may be configured to have a horizontal overhang from a bottom outer edge of the vertical bottle locking recess to a top outer edge of the vertical bottle locking recess.

[0017] In another related aspect, the bottle body further comprises:

[0018] a) a left front vertical recess located on the left side of the vertical bottle locking protrusion, wherein the left front vertical recess is configured to have a concave left inner surface; and

[0019] b) a right front vertical recess located on the right side of the vertical bottle locking protrusion, wherein the right front vertical recess is configured to have a concave right inner surface.

[0020] In another related aspect, the left opening angle between the inner left tangent of the inner end portion of the concave left inner surface and the outer left tangent of the outer end portion of the concave left inner surface may be in the range of 35 degrees to 45 degrees; and the right opening angle between the inner right tangent of the inner end portion of the concave right inner surface and the outer right tangent of the outer end portion of the concave left inner surface may be in the range of 35 degrees to 45 degrees.

[0021] In another related aspect, the left outward inclination angle between the longitudinal center line of the bottle body and the inner left tangent line of the inner end portion of the concave left inner surface may be in the range of 20 degrees to 30 degrees; and the right outward inclination angle between the longitudinal center line of the bottle body and the inner right tangent line of the inner end portion of the concave right inner surface may be in the range of 20 degrees to 30 degrees.

[0022] In yet another related aspect, the maximum left opening width of the left front vertical recess between the outer left transition point and the inner left transition point may be in the range of 75% to 85% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion; and the maximum right opening width of the right front vertical recess between the outer right transition point and the inner right transition point may be in the range of 75% to 85% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion.

[0023] Thus, certain embodiments of the invention have been outlined rather broadly so that the specific embodiments of the invention may be better understood, and so that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Of course, there are other embodiments of the invention, which will be described hereinafter, and which will constitute the subject matter of the appended claims.

[0024] In this regard, before explaining in detail at least one embodiment of the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to the construction details and arrangements of parts set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The present invention can provide other embodiments in addition to those described, and can be implemented and executed in various ways. In addition, it should be understood that the words and terms used herein and the abstract of the specification are for descriptive purposes only and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0025] Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concepts upon which this disclosure is based may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be deemed to include such equivalent constructions as long as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 is a top front left perspective view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 is a top rear right perspective view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 is a bottom front left perspective view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 is a bottom rear right perspective view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 is a front view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 is a rear view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 1 is a left side view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 2 is a right side view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Fig.9Ais a bottom view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Fig. 9B is a bottom view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Fig.10 is a top view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Fig.11 According to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig.10 The cross-sectional view of the connectable beverage bottle taken along section 11-11 of FIG. 1 does not show any features inside the connectable beverage bottle.

[0038] Fig.12 According to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig.10 The cross-sectional view of the connectable beverage bottle taken along section line 12-12 does not show any features of the interior of the connectable beverage bottle.

[0039] Fig.13 According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 The cross-sectional view of the connectable beverage bottle taken along section line 13-13 does not show any features of the interior of the connectable beverage bottle.

[0040] Fig.14 According to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig.10 The cross-sectional view of the connectable beverage bottle taken along section line 14-14 does not show any features of the interior of the connectable beverage bottle.

[0041] Fig.15 According to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig.10 The cross-sectional view of the connectable beverage bottle taken along section line 15-15 does not show any features of the interior of the connectable beverage bottle.

[0042] Fig.16A Schematic diagram of a process for detachably interlocking vertical movement of two connectable beverage bottles according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Fig. 16B is a schematic diagram of a process of lateral movement for detachably interlocking two connectable beverage bottles according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Fig. 16C is a perspective view of three connectable beverage bottles interconnected according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Fig.17 According to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 16CThe cross-sectional view of the three connected connectable beverage bottles taken along the section line 17-17 shows only the outer shells of the three connected connectable beverage bottles.

[0046] Fig.18A is a bottom right perspective view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Fig.18B is a bottom left perspective view of a connectable beverage bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be noted that the present invention mainly lies in novel and non-obvious combinations of elements and processing steps. In order not to confuse the present disclosure with details that are obvious to those skilled in the art, certain conventional elements and steps have been presented in less detail, while the drawings and the description describe other elements and steps relevant to understanding the present invention in more detail.

[0049] The following embodiments are not intended to limit the structure or method of the present invention, but only provide exemplary configurations. These embodiments are permissive but not mandatory, and are illustrative but not exhaustive.

[0050] Below, we refer to the following method Figure 1 Describe the structure of the embodiment of the connectable beverage bottle 100: Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the specification; we will adopt the convention in the rest of this specification. The connectable beverage bottle 100 is designed to be interlockable, so that they can save space in logistics (such as during transportation, storage and store display), thereby improving space efficiency and cost efficiency; and, compared with the early designs of interlockable bottles, the connectable beverage bottle is designed to be manufactured using the most advanced bottle manufacturing methods.

[0051] In a related embodiment, Figures 1 to 12 An example of a connectable beverage bottle 100 is shown. The connectable beverage bottle 100 includes a number of substantial design changes aimed at achieving manufacturability and improving connectability compared to earlier designs of earlier connectable beverage bottles as disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Patent No. 10,472,117 issued on November 12, 2019; U.S. Patent No. D941,152 issued on January 18, 2022; and International PCT Application Publication No. WO2019241246A1 published on December 19, 2019; all three applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The earlier connectable beverage bottles were not manufacturable and did not have reliable connectability due to specific features of the corresponding earlier designs.

[0052] In another related embodiment, improvements to the connectable beverage bottle 100 compared to earlier connectable beverage bottles include:

[0053] a) All corners or hard edges of the base of the connectable beverage bottle 100 have been fully rounded, making the connectable beverage bottle 100 easier to blow mold during manufacturing;

[0054] b) the interlocking rear member of the bottle (i.e., the vertical bottle locking projection 126) is substantially thinner, and the opening of the bottle on the other side (i.e., the vertical bottle locking recess 224 into which the vertical bottle locking projection 126 enters) is correspondingly substantially thinner, as further described below; and

[0055] c) The locking portion of the connectable beverage bottle 100 is now only about 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the bottle height of the connectable beverage bottle 100. In the original design of the early connectable beverage bottle, the entire back side was designed to lock into the bottle, but it has been found that this original design is impossible to manufacture using available manufacturing methods and systems.

[0056] In a related embodiment, the connectable beverage bottle 100 may include:

[0057] a) A hollow body 103 comprising:

[0058] i. The bottle top 105 comprises a bottle opening 115 and a bottle interior 111, such that the bottle opening 115 provides access to the central cavity 111 for storing liquid;

[0059] ii. bottom 107; and

[0060] iii. A substantially cylindrical side wall 109 forming a central cavity 111 (eg Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown), the side wall 109 is adjacent to the top of the hollow bottle body 103 and tapers inwardly to form a tapered neck 113, which terminates at an opening 115 for liquid or solid to enter and leave the central cavity 111;

[0061] The side wall 109 includes a pair of parallel grooves 930, 940 inserted into the circumference of the substantially cylindrical side wall 109.

[0062] (also referred to as left front vertical notch 930 and right front vertical notch 940), the substantially cylindrical sidewall extending longitudinally from the bottom 107 of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113, the pair of grooves 930, 940 forming a longitudinally extending protrusion 126 (also referred to as a vertical bottle locking protrusion 126) between the grooves 930, 940, the longitudinally extending protrusion extending from the bottom 107 of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113 of the hollow body, wherein the protrusion 126 radially tapers to form a tapered rounded edge 121;

[0063] The sidewall 109 further includes a longitudinally extending channel 224 (also referred to as a vertical bottle locking recess 224) located diametrically opposite the longitudinally extending protrusion 126, the channel 224 extending from the bottom of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113 of the hollow body, wherein the depth of the channel decreases in a tapered manner adjacent the tapered neck 113 to form a tapered rounded shelf 227 that is substantially parallel to and diametrically opposite the tapered rounded edge 121 of the protrusion; and

[0064] The protrusion 126 and the channel 224 are sized and configured such that the protrusion 126 can be received within the channel of another similarly connectable beverage bottle for connection and attachment to another similarly connectable beverage bottle.

[0065] In a related embodiment, the connectable beverage bottle 100 may be further configured such that:

[0066] a) the tapered edge 121 of the protrusion 126 and the tapered shelf 227 of the channel permit the protrusion 126 to be inserted into the channel like a connectable bottle at the bottom of the hollow body rather than at the top of the hollow body; and

[0067] b) The size and configuration of the protrusion 126 and the channel are designed so that once the protrusion 126 is inserted into the channel of a similar connectable bottle, the protrusion 126 can slide within the channel until the tapered edge 121 of the protrusion will engage the tapered shelf 227 of the channel to prevent further movement or disengagement.

[0068] Therefore, in one embodiment, if Figure 1 to Figure 2 , FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B As shown in FIG. 16 , the connectable beverage bottle 100 may include:

[0069] a) Hollow bottle body 103, which includes:

[0070] i. Central cavity 111;

[0071] ii. The bottle top 105 comprises a bottle opening 115 such that the bottle opening 115 provides access to the central cavity 111;

[0072] iii. Sidewall 109, which forms a central cavity, wherein sidewall 109 comprises:

[0073] 1. A vertical bottle locking projection 126 positioned on a first side of the side wall 109; and

[0074] 2. A vertical bottle locking recess 224 positioned on the second side of the side wall 109 such that the vertical bottle locking recess 224 is positioned oppositely relative to the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126;

[0075] Such that the vertical bottle locking projection 126 is configured to slide into a corresponding bottle locking recess of a first similar connectable beverage bottle 100, 1601, such that the connectable beverage bottle 100, 1602 is connected to the first similar connectable beverage bottle 100, 1601; and

[0076] Such that the vertical bottle locking recess 224 is configured to slidably receive a corresponding bottle locking protrusion 126 of a second similar connectable beverage bottle 100 , 1603 , such that the connectable beverage bottle 100 , 1602 is connected to the second similar connectable beverage bottle 100 , 1603 .

[0077] In a related embodiment, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the hollow bottle body may further include:

[0078] a) an upper screw portion 512; and

[0079] b) a main portion 514, which is located below the upper screw portion 512;

[0080] The main portion 514 may be mirror-symmetrical with respect to a front-rear vertical center plane 520 of the hollow bottle body 103 .

[0081] In another related embodiment, FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B and Fig.10 As shown, the connectable beverage bottle 100 can be configured with various features to achieve manufacturability and removable connectability such that:

[0082] a) a horizontal overhang 913 of the vertical bottle locking recess 224 from a bottom outer edge 912 of the vertical bottle locking recess 224 to a top outer edge of the vertical bottle locking recess 224, the horizontal overhang being within a range of 5% to 30% or 10% to 25% of a maximum depth 919 of the vertical bottle locking recess 224, such that the limited range of the horizontal overhang 913 enables manufacturability of a connectable beverage bottle 100;

[0083] b) the maximum protrusion width 1027 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 may be in the range of 25% to 35% of the maximum bottle width 1056 of the hollow body 103;

[0084] c) a left front vertical recess 930 on the left side of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126, wherein the left front vertical recess 930 is configured to have a concave left inner surface such that an inner left tangent line 934 at an inner end of the concave left inner surface

[0085] A left opening angle 938 between (in an inner left transition point 11 at an inner end of the concave left inner surface, where the concave inner surface connects to the inner convex left surface) and an outer left tangent line 932 at an outer end of the concave left inner surface (in an outer left transition point 12 at an outer end of the concave left inner surface, where the concave inner surface connects to the outer convex left surface) is substantially 30 degrees (i.e., about 30 degrees subject to manufacturing tolerances) or in a range of 25 to 35 degrees, or in a range of 20 to 40 degrees;

[0086] d) a left outward inclination angle 937 between a longitudinal centerline 935 of the bottle body and an inner left tangent line 934 of the inner end of the concave left inner surface is substantially 25 degrees (i.e., about 25 degrees subject to manufacturing tolerances) or within a range of 20 to 30 degrees;

[0087] e) the maximum left opening width 936 of the left front vertical recess 930 between the outer left transition point and the inner left transition point may be in the range of 70% to 90% or 75% to 85% of the maximum protrusion width 1027 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126;

[0088] f) a right front vertical recess 940 on the right side of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 926, wherein the right front vertical recess 940 is configured to have a concave right inner surface such that an inner right tangent line 944 at an inner end of the concave right inner surface

[0089] a right opening angle 938 between (in an inner right transition point 21 at an inner end of the concave right inner surface, where the concave inner surface connects to the inner convex right surface) and an outer right tangent line 942 of an outer end of the concave left inner surface (in an outer right transition point 22 at an outer end of the concave right inner surface, where the concave inner surface connects to the outer convex right surface) is substantially 30 degrees (i.e., subject to a manufacturing tolerance of approximately 30 degrees) or in a range of 25 to 35 degrees, or in a range of 20 to 40 degrees;

[0090] g) a right outward inclination angle 947 between a longitudinal centerline 935 of the bottle body 103 and an inner right tangent line 944 of the inner end of the concave right inner surface is substantially 25 degrees (i.e., about 25 degrees subject to manufacturing tolerances) or within a range of 20 to 30 degrees; and

[0091] h) The maximum right opening width 946 of the right front vertical recess 940 between the outer right transition point and the inner right transition point can be substantially 80% (i.e., approximately 80% subject to manufacturing tolerances), or within the range of 70% to 90% or 75% to 85% of the maximum protrusion width 1027 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126.

[0092] In another related embodiment, Figure 2 and Fig.9AAs shown, the vertical bottle locking recess 224 can be configured to have an upper rounded recess protrusion 227 (which can also be referred to as a tapered rounded shelf 227), which is positioned in the upper member of the vertical bottle locking recess 224 so that the upper rounded recess protrusion 227 forms a horizontal overhang 913.

[0093] In a related embodiment, if FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B As shown, the bottom 107 of the hollow bottle body 103 may further include:

[0094] a) a flat portion 962; and

[0095] b) a central recess 964, which is configured to have a laterally elongated shape and is mirror-symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal centerline 935 of the bottle body 103, wherein the periphery of the central recess includes:

[0096] i. left front concave edge portion 42;

[0097] ii. right front concave edge portion 46;

[0098] iii. a center front convex edge portion 44 positioned between the left front concave edge portion 42 and the right front concave edge portion 46;

[0099] iv. left rear concave edge portion 52;

[0100] v. right rear concave edge portion 56;

[0101] vi. a center rear convex edge portion 54 positioned between the left rear concave edge portion 52 and the right rear concave edge portion 56;

[0102] vii. a left convex edge portion 62 positioned between the left rear concave edge portion 52 and the left front concave edge portion 42; and

[0103] viii. The right convex edge portion 64 is positioned between the right rear concave edge portion 56 and the right front concave edge portion 46;

[0104] The alternating pattern of concave edge portions 42, 46, 56, 58 and convex edge portions 44, 62, 54, 62 is formed along the laterally elongated shape of the periphery of the center recess 964, which increases the torsional stiffness of the hollow bottle body 103, thereby creating sufficient torsional rigidity of the hollow bottle body 103 to facilitate the manufacturability of the connectable beverage bottle 100, and in particular to ensure quick and frictionless removal of the connectable beverage bottle 100 from the molded part.

[0105] In another related embodiment, Fig.18A and Fig.18BAs shown, the hollow bottle body 103 can be further configured such that:

[0106] a) The vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 can be further configured to have

[0107] i. The left vertical protrusion 1830 bent outwardly, which is positioned on the lower outer left surface of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126;

[0108] causing the outwardly curved left vertical projection 1830 to taper (i.e., gradually become thinner or recede) from a left maximum projection point 1832 at a lower left edge of the vertical bottle locking projection 126 to an upper left projection transition point 1834 where the outwardly curved left vertical projection 1830 disappears and the vertical bottle locking projection 126 becomes substantially straight;

[0109] ii. The right vertical protrusion 1840 bent outwardly, which is positioned on the lower outer right surface of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126,

[0110] causing the outwardly curved right vertical protrusion 1840 to taper (i.e., gradually become thinner or recede) from a right maximum protrusion point 1842 at the right lower edge of the vertical bottle locking projection 126 to an upper right protrusion transition point 1844, wherein the outwardly curved right vertical protrusion 1840 disappears and the vertical bottle locking projection 126 becomes substantially straight; and

[0111] b) The vertical bottle locking recess 224 may be further configured to have

[0112] i. The left vertical inwardly curved recess 1850 is positioned on the lower outer left surface of the vertical bottle locking recess 224;

[0113] causing the inwardly curved left vertical notch 1850 to taper (i.e., gradually thin or recede) from a left maximum notch 1852 at a lower left edge of the vertical bottle locking notch 224 to an upper left notch transition point 1854 where the inwardly curved left vertical notch 1850 disappears and the vertical bottle locking notch 224 becomes substantially straight;

[0114] ii. The right vertical recess 1860 curved inwardly, which is positioned on the lower outer right surface of the vertical bottle locking recess 224,

[0115] causing the inwardly curved right vertical notch 1860 to taper (i.e., gradually thin or recede) from a right maximum notch point 1862 at the right lower edge of the vertical bottle locking notch 224 to an upper right recess transition point 1864 where the inwardly curved right vertical notch 1860 disappears and the vertical bottle locking notch 224 becomes substantially straight;

[0116] Such that the inwardly curved left vertical recess 1850 is configured to receive the outwardly curved left vertical protrusion 1830;

[0117] Such that the inwardly curved right vertical recess 1860 is configured to receive the outwardly curved right vertical protrusion 1840;

[0118] so that the lower portion of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 is removably locked in place within the lower portion of the vertical bottle locking recess 224;

[0119] Such that the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 is configured to be vertically slidable 1612 into the bottom of the corresponding bottle locking recess 224 of the first similarly connectable beverage bottle 100 , 1601 .

[0120] In a related embodiment, if FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B and Fig.10 As shown, the left maximum lateral protrusion depth 973 of the outwardly curved left vertical protrusion 1830 between the lower left protrusion maximum point 972 and the lower left protrusion minimum point 974 may be within the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum protrusion width 1027 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126; and the right maximum lateral protrusion depth 977 of the outwardly curved right vertical protrusion 1840 between the lower right protrusion maximum point 976 and the lower right protrusion minimum point 978 may be within the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum protrusion width 1027 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126.

[0121] In a related embodiment, if FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B and Fig.10 As shown, the left maximum lateral notch depth 983 of the inwardly curved left vertical notch 1850 between the lower left notch maximum point 982 and the lower left notch minimum point 984 may be within the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum notch width 925 of the vertical bottle locking notch 224; and the right maximum lateral notch depth 987 of the inwardly curved right vertical notch 1860 between the lower right notch maximum point 986 and the lower right notch minimum point 988 may be within the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum notch width 925 of the vertical bottle locking notch 224.

[0122] In a related embodiment, the hollow bottle body 103 can be made of a sufficiently flexible material, such as a sufficiently flexible plastic material (with an appropriate wall thickness), so that the limited range of the left maximum lateral protrusion depth 973 and the right maximum lateral protrusion depth 977 and the left maximum lateral recess depth 983 and the right maximum lateral recess depth 987 ensure that the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 can slide laterally 1614 into the corresponding bottle locking recess 224 of the first similar connectible beverage bottle, wherein the outwardly curved left vertical protrusions 1830, 1840 are snapped into place inside the inwardly curved left vertical recess 1850 and the right vertical recess 1860, so that the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 is snapped into place inside the vertical bottle locking recess 224 (with slight deformation of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 and the vertical bottle locking recess 224 during the lateral sliding process).

[0123] Therefore, in a related embodiment, if Figure 3 to Figure 4 , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B , Fig. 16C and Fig.17 As shown, the lower locking protrusion portion 327 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 can be configured to be vertically slidable upward 1612 and laterally slidable 1614 to the lower locking recess portion 428 of the corresponding vertical bottle locking recess 224, so that the lower portion 327 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 is detachably interlocked with the corresponding vertical bottle locking recess 224.

[0124] In another related embodiment, Figure 3 to Figure 4 , Figure 7 , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B , Fig. 16C and Fig.17 As shown, the first height 328 of the lower locking protrusion portion 327 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 (between the uniform horizontal planes 322, 324 of the lower maximum protrusion points 1832, 1842 and the upper protrusion transition points 1834, 1844) and the second height 428 of the lower locking recess portion 427 of the corresponding vertical bottle locking recess 224 (between the uniform horizontal planes 422, 424 of the lower maximum recess points 1852, 1862 and the upper recess transition points 1854, 1864) can each have a uniform height (i.e., the same height) and can each be within the range of 20% to 60%, 30% to 50%, 35% to 45% or 40% to 48% of the bottle height 710 of the bottle body 103 to which the beverage bottle 100 can be connected.

[0125] Therefore, in yet another related embodiment, if Figure 3 to Figure 4 , Figure 7 , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B , Fig. 16C and Fig.17 As shown, the hollow bottle body 103 may further include:

[0126] a) a lower locking protrusion portion 327 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126, wherein the lower locking protrusion portion 327 is positioned between the uniform lower protrusion horizontal plane 322 of the lower left maximum protrusion point 1832 and the lower right maximum protrusion point 1842 and the uniform upper protrusion horizontal plane 324 of the upper left protrusion transition point 1834 and the upper right protrusion transition point 1844; and

[0127] b) the lower locking notch portion 427 of the vertical bottle locking notch 224, wherein the lower locking notch portion 427 is positioned at the uniform lower notch horizontal plane 422 of the lower left maximum notch point 1852 and the lower right maximum notch point 1862 and the uniform upper notch horizontal plane 422 of the upper left notch transition point 1854 and the upper right notch transition point 1864

[0128] Between faces 424;

[0129] The first height 328 of the lower locking protrusion portion 327 of the vertical bottle locking protrusion 126 and the second height 428 of the lower locking recess portion 427 of the vertical bottle locking recess 224 each have a uniform height 328, 428, which is within the range of 30% to 50% of the bottle height 710 of the hollow bottle body 103.

[0130] In a related embodiment, if Fig.13 As shown, the interlocking combination of the connectable beverage bottle 100 may include:

[0131] a) A first connectable beverage bottle 100, 1601, which may include:

[0132] i. A hollow body 103 comprising a top, a bottom and a substantially cylindrical side wall 109 forming a central cavity, the side wall 109 tapering inwardly adjacent the top of the hollow body to form a tapered neck 113 terminating in an opening for liquids or solids to enter and exit the central cavity; wherein:

[0133] 1. The side wall 109 includes a pair of parallel grooves 930, 940 inserted into the circumference of the substantially cylindrical side wall, the substantially cylindrical side wall extending longitudinally from the bottom of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113, the pair of grooves 930, 940 forming a longitudinally extending protrusion 126 between the grooves 930, 940, the longitudinally extending protrusion extending from the bottom of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113 of the hollow body, wherein the protrusion 126 radially tapers to form a tapered rounded edge 121;

[0134] 2. the side wall 109 further comprises a longitudinally extending channel located diametrically opposite the longitudinally extending protrusion 126, the channel extending from the bottom of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113 of the hollow body, wherein the depth of the channel decreases in a tapered manner adjacent the tapered neck 113 to form a tapered rounded shelf 227 that is substantially parallel to and diametrically opposite the tapered rounded edge 121 of the protrusion 126; and

[0135] b) A second connectable beverage bottle 100, 1602, which may include:

[0136] i. A hollow body 103 comprising a top, a bottom and a substantially cylindrical side wall 109 forming a central cavity, the side wall 109 tapering inwardly adjacent the top of the hollow body to form a tapered neck 113 terminating in an opening for liquids or solids to enter and exit the central cavity; wherein:

[0137] 1. The side wall 109 includes a pair of parallel grooves 930, 940 inserted into the circumference of the substantially cylindrical side wall 109, which extends longitudinally from the bottom of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113, and the pair of grooves 930, 940 form a longitudinally extending protrusion 126 between the grooves 930, 940, which extends from the bottom of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113 of the hollow body, wherein the protrusion 126 radially tapers to form a tapered neck 113. 1. The side wall 109 further comprises a longitudinally extending channel diametrically positioned opposite the longitudinally extending protrusion 126, the channel extending from the bottom of the hollow body to the tapered neck 113 of the hollow body, wherein the depth of the channel decreases in a tapered manner adjacent to the tapered neck 113 to form a tapered rounded shelf 227, the tapered rounded shelf being substantially parallel to the tapered rounded edge 121 of the protrusion 126 and diametrically opposite thereto; and

[0138] 3. The protrusion 126 of the first bottle is sized and configured to have the same shape as the channel so as to be received within the channel of the second bottle, thereby connecting and attaching the first bottle to the second bottle; and

[0139] c) A third connectable beverage bottle 100 , 1603 , which is connected to the second connectable beverage bottle 100 , 1602 .

[0140] Thus, there have been described herein various embodiments of a connectable beverage bottle 100 and methods associated therewith that may be employed in a variety of modes of use.

[0141] The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

[0142] Many such alternative constructions are obvious and should be considered to be fully included in this specification and the claims appended hereto. Therefore, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, the invention is not limited to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and therefore, all suitable modifications and equivalents falling within the scope of the invention may be resorted to.

Claims

1. A connectable beverage bottle, comprising: The hollow bottle body comprises: a central cavity; and a bottle top including a bottle opening such that the bottle opening provides access to the central cavity; a side wall forming the central cavity, wherein the side wall comprises: a vertical bottle locking projection positioned on a first side of the side wall; and a vertical bottle locking recess positioned on the second side of the side wall such that the vertical bottle locking recess is oppositely positioned relative to the vertical bottle locking protrusion; Such that the vertical bottle locking projection is configured to slide into a corresponding bottle locking recess of a first similar connectable beverage bottle such that the connectable beverage bottle is connected to the first similar connectable beverage bottle; and Such that the vertical bottle locking recess is configured to slidably receive a corresponding bottle locking protrusion of a second similar connectable beverage bottle such that the connectable beverage bottle is connected to the second similar connectable beverage bottle.

2. The connectable beverage bottle according to claim 1, wherein the vertical bottle locking recess is configured to have a horizontal overhang from a bottom outer edge of the vertical bottle locking recess to a top outer edge of the vertical bottle locking recess.

3. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 2, wherein the horizontal overhang is within a range of 10% to 25% of the maximum depth of the vertical bottle locking recess.

4. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 2, wherein the vertical bottle locking recess is configured with an upper rounded recess protrusion in an upper member of the vertical bottle locking recess such that the upper rounded recess protrusion forms the horizontal overhang. 5 . The connectable beverage bottle according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion is in a range of 25% to 35% of a maximum bottle width of the hollow bottle body.

6. The connectable beverage bottle according to claim 1, wherein the hollow bottle body further comprises: a) a left front vertical recess located on the left side of the vertical bottle locking protrusion, wherein the left front vertical recess is configured to have a concave left inner surface; as well as b) a right front vertical recess located on the right side of the vertical bottle locking protrusion, wherein the right front vertical recess is configured to have a concave right inner surface.

7. The connectable beverage bottle according to claim 6, wherein a left opening angle between an inner left tangent line of an inner end of the concave left inner surface and an outer left tangent line of an outer end of the concave left inner surface is in a range of 35 to 45 degrees; and A right opening angle between an inner right tangent line of an inner end portion of the concave right inner surface and an outer right tangent line of an outer end portion of the concave left inner surface is in a range of 35 degrees to 45 degrees.

8. A connectable beverage bottle according to claim 7, wherein a left outward inclination angle between a longitudinal center line of the hollow bottle body and an inner left tangent line of the inner end portion of the concave left inner surface is in a range of 20 to 30 degrees; and wherein a right outward inclination angle between the longitudinal center line of the hollow bottle body and an inner right tangent line of the inner end portion of the concave right inner surface is in a range of 20 to 30 degrees.

9. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 8, wherein the left opening angle and the right opening angle are each substantially 30 degrees; and wherein the left outward tilt angle and the right outward tilt angle are each substantially 25 degrees.

10. A connectable beverage bottle according to claim 7, wherein the maximum left opening width of the left front vertical recess between the outer left transition point at the outer end of the concave left inner surface and the inner left transition point at the inner end of the concave left inner surface is in the range of 75% to 85% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion; and wherein the maximum right opening width of the right front vertical recess between the outer right transition point at the outer end of the concave right inner surface and the inner right transition point at the inner end of the concave right inner surface is in the range of 75% to 85% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion.

11. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 10, wherein the maximum left opening width and the maximum right opening width are each substantially 80% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion.

12. The connectable beverage bottle according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the hollow bottle body further comprises: a) Flat part; and b) A central recess which is configured to have a laterally elongated shape and to be mirror-symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal center line of the hollow bottle body.

13. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 12, wherein the central recess further comprises: An alternating pattern of concave edge portions and convex edge portions along the periphery of the central recess such that the alternating pattern of concave edge portions increases the torsional rigidity of the hollow bottle body.

14. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 13, wherein the alternating pattern of concave and convex edge portions further comprises: a) left front concave edge portion; b) the right front concave edge portion; c) a central front convex edge portion positioned between the left front concave edge portion and the right front concave edge portion; d) left rear concave edge portion; e) right rear concave edge portion; f) a central rear convex edge portion positioned between the left rear concave edge portion and the right rear concave edge portion; g) a left convex edge portion positioned between the left rear concave edge portion and the left front concave edge portion; and h) a right side convex edge portion positioned between the right rear concave edge portion and the right front concave edge portion.

15. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 1, wherein the vertical bottle locking projection further comprises: an outwardly curved left vertical projection positioned on a lower outer left surface of the vertical bottle locking projection; such that the outwardly curved left vertical projection is configured to taper from a left maximum projection point at a left lower edge of the vertical bottle locking projection to an upper left projection transition point, wherein the outwardly curved left vertical projection disappears; an outwardly curved right vertical projection positioned on a lower outer right surface of the vertical bottle locking projection such that the outwardly curved right vertical projection is configured to taper from a right maximum projection point at a right lower edge of the vertical bottle locking projection to an upper right projection transition point, wherein the outwardly curved right vertical projection disappears and the vertical bottle locking projection becomes substantially straight; and Wherein the vertical bottle locking recess further comprises: an inwardly curved left vertical notch positioned on a lower outer left surface of the vertical bottle locking notch; such that the inwardly curved left vertical notch is configured to taper from a left maximum notch at a left lower edge of the vertical bottle locking notch to an upper left notch transition point where the inwardly curved left vertical notch disappears; an inwardly curved right vertical notch positioned on a lower outer right surface of the vertical bottle locking notch such that the inwardly curved right vertical notch is configured to taper from a right maximum notch at a right lower edge of the vertical bottle locking notch to an upper right notch transition point where the inwardly curved right vertical notch disappears; Such that the inwardly curved left vertical recess is configured to receive the outwardly curved left vertical protrusion; Such that the inwardly curved right vertical recess is configured to receive the outwardly curved right vertical protrusion; and causing a lower portion of the vertical bottle locking projection to be removably locked in place within a lower portion of the vertical bottle locking recess; Such that the vertical bottle locking protrusion is configured to be vertically slidable into the corresponding bottle locking recess of the first similarly connectable beverage bottle.

16. A connectable beverage bottle according to claim 15, wherein the left maximum lateral protrusion depth of the outwardly curved left vertical protrusion between the maximum point of the lower left protrusion and the minimum point of the lower left protrusion is in the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion; and the right maximum lateral protrusion depth of the outwardly curved right vertical protrusion between the maximum point of the lower right protrusion and the minimum point of the lower right protrusion is in the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion.

17. A connectable beverage bottle according to claim 16, wherein the left maximum lateral notch depth of the inwardly curved left vertical notch between the maximum point of the lower left notch and the minimum point of the lower left notch is in the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum notch width of the vertical bottle locking notch; and the right maximum lateral notch depth of the inwardly curved right vertical notch between the maximum point of the lower right notch and the minimum point of the lower right notch is in the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum notch width of the vertical bottle locking notch.

18. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 17, wherein the hollow bottle body is made of a flexible material such that the vertical bottle locking protrusion can slide laterally into the corresponding bottle locking recess of the first similar connectable beverage bottle.

19. The connectable beverage bottle according to claim 15, wherein the hollow bottle body further comprises: c) a lower locking projection portion of the vertical bottle locking projection, wherein the lower locking projection portion is positioned between a uniform lower projection level plane of lower left and lower right maximum projection points and a uniform upper projection level plane of upper left and upper right projection transition points; and d) a lower locking notch portion of the vertical bottle locking notch, wherein the lower locking notch portion is positioned between a uniform lower notch horizontal plane of the left lower maximum notch point and the right lower maximum notch point and a uniform upper notch horizontal plane of the left upper notch transition point and the right upper notch transition point; The first height of the lower locking protrusion portion of the vertical bottle locking protrusion and the second height of the lower locking recess portion of the vertical bottle locking recess each have a uniform height within a range of 30% to 50% of the bottle height of the hollow bottle body.

20. The connectable beverage bottle according to claim 1, wherein the hollow bottle body further comprises: a) the upper screw portion; and b) a main portion located below the upper screw portion; The main part is mirror-symmetrical with respect to a front-rear vertical center plane of the hollow bottle body.

21. A connectable beverage bottle, comprising: a) Central cavity; and b) a side wall comprising: A vertical bottle locking projection; and vertical bottle locking notch; Such that the vertical bottle locking projection is configured to slide into a corresponding bottle locking recess of a first similar connectable beverage bottle such that the connectable beverage bottle is connected to the first similar connectable beverage bottle; and Such that the vertical bottle locking recess is configured to slidably receive a corresponding bottle locking protrusion of a second similar connectable beverage bottle such that the connectable beverage bottle is connected to the second similar connectable beverage bottle.

22. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 21, wherein the vertical bottle locking recess is configured to have a horizontal overhang from a bottom outer edge of the vertical bottle locking recess to a top outer edge of the vertical bottle locking recess.

23. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 22, wherein the horizontal overhang is within the range of 10% to 25% of the maximum depth of the vertical bottle locking recess.

24. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 21, wherein a maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion is in the range of 25% to 35% of a maximum bottle width of the connectable beverage bottle.

25. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 21, wherein the connectable beverage bottle further comprises: a) a left front vertical recess located on the left side of the vertical bottle locking protrusion, wherein the left front vertical recess is configured to have a concave left inner surface; as well as b) a right front vertical recess located on the right side of the vertical bottle locking protrusion, wherein the right front vertical recess is configured to have a concave right inner surface.

26. The connectable beverage bottle according to claim 25, wherein a left opening angle between an inner left tangent line of an inner end of the concave left inner surface and an outer left tangent line of an outer end of the concave left inner surface is in a range of 35 to 45 degrees; and A right opening angle between an inner right tangent line of an inner end portion of the concave right inner surface and an outer right tangent line of an outer end portion of the concave left inner surface is in a range of 35 degrees to 45 degrees.

27. A connectable beverage bottle according to claim 26, wherein a left outward inclination angle between a longitudinal center line of the connectable beverage bottle and the inner left tangent line of the inner end portion of the concave left inner surface is in the range of 20 to 30 degrees; and wherein a right outward inclination angle between the longitudinal center line of the connectable beverage bottle and the inner right tangent line of the inner end portion of the concave right inner surface is in the range of 20 to 30 degrees.

28. A connectable beverage bottle according to claim 27, wherein the maximum left opening width of the left front vertical recess between the outer left transition point at the outer end of the concave left inner surface and the inner left transition point at the inner end of the concave left inner surface is in the range of 75% to 85% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion; and wherein the maximum right opening width of the right front vertical recess between the outer right transition point at the outer end of the concave right inner surface and the inner right transition point at the inner end of the concave right inner surface is in the range of 75% to 85% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion.

29. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 21, wherein the bottom of the connectable beverage bottle further comprises: a) Flat part; and b) a central recess, which is configured to have a laterally elongated shape and is mirror-symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the connectable beverage bottle, wherein the central recess further comprises: An alternating pattern of concave edge portions and convex edge portions along the perimeter of the central recess such that the alternating pattern of concave edge portions increases the torsional rigidity of the connectable beverage bottle.

30. The connectable beverage bottle of claim 21, wherein the vertical bottle locking projection further comprises: an outwardly curved left vertical protrusion positioned on a lower outer left surface of the vertical bottle locking protrusion; such that the outwardly curved left vertical projection is configured to taper from a left maximum projection point at a left lower edge of the vertical bottle locking projection to an upper left projection transition point, wherein the outwardly curved left vertical projection disappears; an outwardly curved right vertical projection positioned on a lower outer right surface of the vertical bottle locking projection such that the outwardly curved right vertical projection is configured to taper from a right maximum projection point at a right lower edge of the vertical bottle locking projection to an upper right projection transition point, wherein the outwardly curved right vertical projection disappears and the vertical bottle locking projection becomes substantially straight; and Wherein the vertical bottle locking recess further comprises: an inwardly curved left vertical notch positioned on a lower outer left surface of the vertical bottle locking notch; such that the inwardly curved left vertical notch is configured to taper from a left maximum notch at a left lower edge of the vertical bottle locking notch to an upper left notch transition point wherein the inwardly curved left vertical notch disappears; an inwardly curved right vertical notch, which is positioned on the lower outer right surface of the vertical bottle locking notch, such that the inwardly curved right vertical notch is configured to taper from a right maximum notch at a right lower edge of the vertical bottle locking notch to an upper right notch transition point, wherein the inwardly curved right vertical notch disappears; so that the inwardly curved left vertical recess is configured to receive the outwardly curved left vertical protrusion; so that the inwardly curved right vertical recess is configured to receive the outwardly curved right vertical protrusion; and causing a lower portion of the vertical bottle locking projection to be removably locked in place within a lower portion of the vertical bottle locking recess; Such that the vertical bottle locking projection is configured to slide vertically into the corresponding bottle locking recess of the first similarly connectable beverage bottle; wherein the left maximum lateral protrusion depth of the outwardly curved left vertical protrusion between the maximum point of the lower left protrusion and the minimum point of the lower left protrusion is within the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion; and the right maximum lateral protrusion depth of the outwardly curved right vertical protrusion between the maximum point of the lower right protrusion and the minimum point of the lower right protrusion is within the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum protrusion width of the vertical bottle locking protrusion; and wherein the left maximum lateral recess depth of the inwardly curved left vertical recess between the maximum point of the lower left recess and the minimum point of the lower left recess is within the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum recess width of the vertical bottle locking recess; and the right maximum lateral recess depth of the inwardly curved right vertical recess between the maximum point of the lower right recess and the minimum point of the lower right recess is within the range of 5% to 10% of the maximum recess width of the vertical bottle locking recess; Wherein the connectable beverage bottle is made of a flexible material so that the vertical bottle locking protrusion can slide laterally into the corresponding bottle locking recess of the first similar connectable beverage bottle.

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