Bottle

Abstract

This bottle comprises a body part having a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a mouth part connected to an upper end of the body part, wherein the body part has: a shoulder part positioned below the mouth part; a trunk part positioned below the shoulder part; a waist part positioned below the trunk part; a leg part positioned below the waist part; and a bottom surface part connected to the leg part. An outer surface of the leg part has four first main flat surface sections and four first curved surface sections. On the outer surface of the leg part, the first curved surface sections and the first main flat surface sections are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction of the body part. Each of the four first main flat surface sections is provided with a recess extending from the bottom surface part toward the mouth part along the bottle axial direction.

Description

Bottle

[0001] This disclosure relates to a bottle.

[0002] As an example of a container filled with a beverage, a plastic bottle described in Patent Document 1 below is disclosed. The plastic bottle described in Patent Document 1 below has a mouth part, a shoulder part, a body part, and a bottom part. The shoulder part has at least one annular second circumferential groove that crosses the shoulder wall part and the shoulder corner part above a ridge line extending in the circumferential direction where the shoulder part switches to the body part.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-55564

[0004] In recent years, for the purpose of a sustainable society, reduction of the amount of material used in the manufacture of bottles has been attempted. However, simply implementing reduction of the amount of material causes a decrease in the rigidity of the bottle due to thinning of the wall thickness of the bottle. Also, from the perspective of ease of holding the bottle, the bottle may have a constriction. However, the formation of the constriction becomes a factor in the decrease in the rigidity of the bottle.

[0005] An object of one aspect of this disclosure is to provide a bottle that can exhibit rigidity sufficient for use even when a constriction and a reduction in wall thickness are implemented.

[0006] The bottle according to one aspect of this disclosure includes a main body portion having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a mouth portion connected to the upper end of the main body portion. The main body portion has a shoulder portion located below the mouth portion, a body portion located below the shoulder portion, a constriction portion located below the body portion, a leg portion located below the constriction portion, and a bottom surface portion connected to the leg portion. The outer surface of the leg portion has four first main plane portions and four first curved surface portions. On the outer surface of the leg portion, the first curved surface portions and the first main plane portions are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the main body portion. A recess extending from the bottom surface portion toward the mouth portion along the axial direction of the bottle is provided in each of the four first main plane portions.

[0007] This bottle features a constricted section at the bottom of the body. This improves the ease of holding the bottle. The outer surface of the leg has four first main planar sections and four first curved sections, with the first main planar sections and first curved sections alternately arranged on the outer surface of the leg in the circumferential direction of the main body. In addition, each of the four first main planar sections is provided with a recess that extends from the bottom to the mouth along the bottle axis. By providing such a leg, rigidity can be improved, especially below the constricted section. Therefore, even with the formation of a constriction and reduction of wall thickness, it is possible to provide a bottle that can withstand use while exhibiting sufficient rigidity.

[0008] The outer surface of the body includes four second main planar sections and four second curved sections, and grooves may be provided in each of the four second main planar sections and the constricted section. In this case, the rigidity of both the body and the constricted section can be improved.

[0009] The groove may extend along the bottle axis. In this case, the rigidity of both the body and the neck can be further improved.

[0010] The grooves provided in each of the four second main planar sections may include a plurality of first grooves that extend along the bottle axis and are aligned along the circumferential direction. In this case, the rigidity of the body can be further improved.

[0011] The grooves provided in the constricted portion extend along the bottle axis, and the grooves in the constricted portion may include a pair of deep grooves that are deeper than the grooves provided in each of the four second main planar portions, and a shallow groove that is located between the pair of deep grooves in the bottle axis direction and is shallower than the pair of deep grooves. In this case, the rigidity of the constricted portion can be further improved. The pair of deep grooves may also be separated by the shallow groove. Furthermore, the depth of the recess may be deeper than the depth of the shallow groove and less than or equal to the depth of the pair of deep grooves, and the depth of the shallow groove may be shallower than the depth of the grooves provided in the body portion and the depth of the recess.

[0012] The recess may be deeper closer to the bottom surface. In this case, the rigidity around the constricted area can be further improved.

[0013] The boundaries between the first main planar section and the first curved section, and the boundaries between the second main planar section and the second curved section, may be chamfered. In this case, the rigidity of the body and the legs can be further improved.

[0014] The recess has a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface, and a bottom located between the first and second inclined surfaces, and the first inclined surface, the bottom, and the second inclined surface may be aligned along the circumferential direction. In this case, the rigidity of the leg can be further improved.

[0015] The leg portion is provided within the recess and has a partition portion that extends in the circumferential direction, and the recess may be divided into an upper recessed region and a lower recessed region by the partition portion. In this case, when a load is applied in the axial direction of the bottle, the presence of the partition portion can suppress the circumferential expansion of the recess, thereby improving the rigidity of the leg portion.

[0016] The top of the partition may be located on the same plane as the first main plane. In this case, the height from the bottom of the recess to the top of the partition is greatest, and the bending rigidity of the partition is maximized. Therefore, deformation of the bottom of the recess can be suppressed, and the rigidity of the bottle in the bottle axis direction can be improved.

[0017] A second recess is provided on the outer surface of the body, and the body has a plurality of second partitions located within the second recess and extending in the circumferential direction. The plurality of second partitions may be intermittently arranged in the bottle axis direction. In this case, when a load is applied in the bottle axis direction, the presence of the second partitions can suppress the circumferential expansion of the second recess, thereby improving the rigidity of the body. The depth of the recess may also be the same as the depth of the second recess.

[0018] The outer surface of the body has a second main plane surrounding the second recess, and the top of the second partition may be located on the same plane as the second main plane. In this case, the height from the bottom of the second recess to the top of the second partition is greatest, so the bending rigidity of the second partition is maximized. Therefore, deformation of the bottom of the second recess can be suppressed, and the rigidity of the bottle along the planar direction of the second main plane can be improved.

[0019] The boundary between the first main planar section and the first curved section may also be a curved surface. In this case, stress concentration at the boundary becomes less likely.

[0020] According to one aspect of this disclosure, it is possible to provide a bottle that can exhibit sufficient rigidity for use even after forming a constriction and reducing the wall thickness.

[0021] Figure 1 is a front perspective view showing a bottle according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is an enlarged upper perspective view of the bottle according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is an enlarged lower perspective view of the bottle according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a bottom view of the bottle according to the first embodiment. Figure 5(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the bottle according to the first embodiment, and Figure 5(b) is an enlarged view of the part enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 5(a). Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a bottle according to a comparative example. Figure 7 is a graph showing the simulation results of buckling strength for the first 3D data, the second 3D data and comparative 3D data. Figure 8 is a graph showing the simulation results of buckling strength for comparative 3D data, the third 3D data and the first 3D data. Figure 9 is a graph showing the simulation results of buckling strength for the first 3D data and the fourth to sixth 3D data. Figure 10 is a front perspective view showing a bottle according to the second embodiment. Figure 11 is an enlarged middle perspective view of the bottle according to the second embodiment. Figure 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the bottle according to the second embodiment. Figure 13 is a graph showing the simulation results of buckling strength for the 11th 3D data and comparative 3D data. Figure 14 is a graph showing the simulation results of lateral strength for the 11th 3D data and comparative 3D data. Figure 15 is a front perspective view showing the bottle according to the third embodiment. Figure 16 is a top perspective view of the bottle according to the third embodiment. Figure 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the bottle according to the third embodiment. Figure 18 is a front perspective view showing the bottle according to the first modification of the third embodiment. Figure 19 is a front perspective view showing the bottle according to the second modification of the third embodiment. Figure 20 is a top perspective view showing the bottle according to the third modification of the third embodiment. Figure 21 is a graph showing the simulation results of buckling strength for the 21st to 24th 3D data and comparative 3D data. Figure 22 is a graph showing the simulation results of lateral strength for the 21st to 24th 3D data and comparative 3D data.

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of one aspect of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for the same elements or elements having the same function, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0023] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a front perspective view showing a bottle according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is an enlarged upper perspective view of the bottle according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is an enlarged lower perspective view of the bottle according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a bottom view of the bottle according to the first embodiment. Figure 5(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the bottle according to the first embodiment, and Figure 5(b) is an enlarged view of the part enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 5(a). The bottle 1 shown in Figures 1 to 5(b) is a component for containing contents such as liquid beverages, and a cap such as a screw cap (not shown) may be attached. In the following, each part of the bottle 1 will be described in detail, assuming the bottle 1 is in an upright position. When the bottle 1 is upright, the axial direction of the bottle 1 (bottle axis direction) is aligned with the vertical direction. Therefore, viewing the bottle 1 along the vertical direction corresponds to a plan view.

[0024] In the first embodiment, the shape of the bottle 1 in plan view is a square shape with rounded corners. Therefore, the width and depth of the bottle 1 are the same. The height of the bottle 1 is, for example, 200 mm or more and 250 mm or less, the width and depth of the bottle are 50 mm or more and 80 mm or less, and the wall thickness of the bottle 1 is, for example, 0.18 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less. From the viewpoint of reducing the weight and rigidity of the bottle 1, the height, width and depth of the bottle 1 may be within the above range, and the wall thickness of the bottle 1 may be 0.2 mm or more and 0.25 mm or less. The bottle 1 is flexible and therefore can be deformed when pressed from the outside. The bottle 1 is, for example, a molded body of a resin such as polyethylene, polyolefin such as polypropylene, or polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate. In the first embodiment, the amount of resin used to mold the bottle 1 is, for example, 18.0 g or more and 21.0 g or less. In this specification, "rigidity" can be read as the deformation resistance of the bottle 1, such as buckling strength and lateral strength.

[0025] Bottle 1 comprises a main body portion 2 and a mouth portion 3 connected to the upper end 2a of the main body portion 2. The main body portion 2 is the part of the bottle 1 that contains the contents and has a bottomed cylindrical shape. The main body portion 2 has a shoulder portion 11 located below the mouth portion 3, a body portion 12 located below the shoulder portion 11, a constricted portion 13 located below the body portion 12, a leg portion 14 located below the constricted portion 13, and a bottom portion 15 connected to the leg portion 14.

[0026] In the first embodiment, the shoulder portion 11 corresponds to the portion of the main body 2 located above the main planar portion 22, which will be described later, in the vertical direction. In one example, the shoulder portion 11 corresponds to the portion of the main body 2 located from the upper end 2a of the main body 2 to the upper end of the main planar portion 22 in the vertical direction. Also, as shown in Figure 5, the torso portion 12 corresponds to the portion of the main body 2 located below the shoulder portion 11 in the vertical direction and above the groove G5 provided in the main planar portion 32, which will be described later. In one example, the torso portion 12 corresponds to the portion of the main body 2 located from the upper end of the main planar portion 22 to the starting point of the inclination at the upper end of the groove G5 in the vertical direction. The constricted portion 13 corresponds to the portion of the main body 2 located below the torso portion 12 in the vertical direction and above the lower end of the groove G5 provided in the main planar portion 32, which will be described later. In one example, the constricted portion 13 corresponds to the part of the main body 2 located in the vertical direction from the starting point of the inclination at the upper end of the groove G5 to the ending point of the inclination at the lower end of the groove G5. The leg portion 14 corresponds to the part of the main body 2 located in the vertical direction below the groove G5 provided in the main planar portion 32, which will be described later, and above the bottom surface portion 15. In one example, the leg portion 14 corresponds to the part of the main body 2 located in the vertical direction from the ending point of the inclination at the lower end of the groove G5 to the lower end portion 14a of the leg portion 14, which will be described later.

[0027] The shoulder portion 11 is a cylindrical part located between the mouth portion 3 and the torso portion 12 in the vertical direction, and includes the upper end 2a of the main body portion 2. The shoulder portion 11 has a shape that narrows from the upper end of the torso portion 12 and connects to the mouth portion 3. In other words, the width and depth of the shoulder portion 11 widen towards the bottom. The change in the width and depth of the shoulder portion 11 in the vertical direction is discontinuous. For example, the widening of the width and depth at the lower end of the shoulder portion 11 may be gentler than in other parts. This allows the shoulder portion 11 and the torso portion 12 to connect smoothly. In one example, the shoulder portion 11 has a roughly frustoconical shape when viewed from the front.

[0028] The torso portion 12 is a cylindrical portion located between the shoulder portion 11 and the constricted portion 13 in the vertical direction. The outer surface 21 of the torso portion 12 has four main planar portions 22 (second main planar portions) and four curved portions 23 (second curved portions). In a plan view, the main planar portions 22 and the curved portions 23 are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the main body portion 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as "circumferential direction"). The boundaries between the main planar portions 22 and the curved portions 23 are chamfered. In the first embodiment, these boundaries are R-chamfered from the viewpoint of buckling strength, etc. From the viewpoint of the rigidity of the bottle 1, the four main planar portions 22 have the same shape as the four curved portions 23 have the same shape as the other. For this reason, one of the four main planar portions 22 and one of the four curved portions 23 will be described in detail below.

[0029] The main planar portion 22 is the part that constitutes one side of the bottle 1 in a plan view. The main planar portion 22 has an upper region 22a, a central region 22b, and a lower region 22c. The upper region 22a is a planar region that is in contact with the shoulder portion 11. The width of the upper region 22a along the circumferential direction widens as it goes downwards. The central region 22b is a planar region located between the upper region 22a and the lower region 22c in the vertical direction. In the circumferential direction, the width of the central region 22b is constant and is approximately the same as the maximum width of the upper region 22a. The lower region 22c is a planar region that extends downwards from the lower end of the central region 22b. The width of the lower region 22c along the circumferential direction narrows as it goes downwards. In the first embodiment, in the vertical direction, the dimensions of the upper region 22a are shorter than the dimensions of the lower region 22c, but are not limited to this. The upper region 22a, the central region 22b, and the lower region 22c are located on the same plane, but are not limited to this arrangement.

[0030] From the viewpoint of buckling strength of the bottle 1, the main flat portion 22 is provided with grooves G1 to G4 that extend vertically and are recessed toward the central axis (not shown) of the bottle 1. The grooves G1 to G4 are elongated recesses and are spaced apart from each other. The dimensions of the grooves G1 to G4 along the vertical direction are, for example, 25 mm to 50 mm. The dimensions of the grooves G1 to G4 along the circumferential direction are, for example, 2.0 mm to 8.0 mm. The depth of the grooves G1 to G4 is the same, for example, 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm. Groove G1 extends from the upper region 22a to the central region 22b. Groove G2 extends from the central region 22b to the lower region 22c and is located below groove G1 in the vertical direction. Grooves G3 and G4 (first grooves) each extend from the central region 22b to the lower region 22c and are aligned along the circumferential direction. Grooves G1 and G2 are located between grooves G3 and G4 in the circumferential direction. In one example, the upper end of groove G3 and the upper end of groove G4 are located above the lower end of groove G1 and below the upper end of groove G1. In another example, the lower end of groove G3 and the lower end of groove G4 are located above the lower end of groove G2 and below the upper end of groove G2, and are located in the lower region 22c.

[0031] The curved portion 23 is the part that connects two adjacent main planar portions 22 in the circumferential direction and constitutes a part of the rounded corner of the bottle 1. The curved portion 23 has an upper region 23a, a central region 23b, and a lower region 23c. The upper region 23a is a curved region that is aligned with the upper region 22a in the circumferential direction and is continuously connected to the shoulder portion 11. The lower end of the upper region 23a is forked so as to sandwich the upper end of the central region 23b. The central region 23b is a curved region located between the upper region 23a and the lower region 23c in the vertical direction. The upper end of the central region 23b is aligned with the upper region 22a of the main planar portion 22 in the circumferential direction and is sandwiched between the lower end of the upper region 23a. The width of the upper end along the circumferential direction widens as it goes downwards. The central region 23b is located below the upper end of the groove G1 provided in the main planar portion 22. In one example, the central region 23b extends from above the upper ends of grooves G3 and G4 to below the lower end of groove G1 and above the lower ends of grooves G3 and G4. The width of the central region 23b along the circumferential direction is constant. The lower region 23c is a curved region extending downward from the lower end of the central region 23b. The width of the lower region 23c along the circumferential direction widens as it goes downward. In the first embodiment, the lower region 23c approaches the central axis of the bottle 1 as it goes downward. For this reason, the lower region 23c is inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

[0032] The constricted portion 13 is a cylindrical portion located between the body portion 12 and the leg portion 14 in the vertical direction. The outer surface 31 of the constricted portion 13 has four main planar portions 32 (third main planar portions) and four curved portions 33 (third curved portions). In plan view, the main planar portions 32 and the curved portions 33 are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction. The boundaries between the main planar portions 32 and the curved portions 33 are chamfered. In the first embodiment, these boundaries are R-chamfered from the viewpoint of buckling strength, etc. From the viewpoint of the rigidity of the bottle 1, the four main planar portions 32 have the same shape as the four curved portions 33 have the same shape as the other. For this reason, one of the four main planar portions 32 and one of the four curved portions 33 will be described in detail below.

[0033] The main planar portion 32 is a plane that is continuously connected to the main planar portion 22 of the body portion 12. The dimensions of the main planar portion 32 along the circumferential direction are shortest at the center of the constricted portion 13 in the vertical direction. In the first embodiment, the main planar portion 22 and the main planar portion 32 are located on the same plane, but are not limited to this.

[0034] The main flat portion 32 is provided with a groove G5 that extends vertically and is recessed toward the central axis (not shown) of the bottle 1. The groove G5 is aligned with, but is not limited to, the grooves G1 and G2 of the body portion 12 in the vertical direction. The dimensions of the groove G5 in the vertical direction are, for example, 10 mm to 30 mm. The dimensions of the groove G5 in the circumferential direction are, for example, larger than the dimensions of the grooves G1 to G4 in the circumferential direction, and are 2.5 mm to 10 mm. The depth of the groove G5 is, for example, 1.5 mm to 6.0 mm. The groove G5 is provided with a pair of deep grooves G5a that are deeper than the grooves G1 to G4 provided in the main flat portion 22, and a shallow groove G5b that is located between the pair of deep grooves G5a in the vertical direction and is shallower than the pair of deep grooves G5a. The pair of deep grooves G5a are separated by the shallow groove G5b. The depths of the pair of deep grooves G5a are the same. The depth of the shallow groove G5b may be shallower than the depth of grooves G1 to G4, or it may be deeper than the depth of grooves G1 to G4. Alternatively, the depth of the shallow groove G5b may be the same as the depth of grooves G1 to G4.

[0035] The curved portion 33 is the part that connects two adjacent main planar portions 32 in the circumferential direction and constitutes another part of the rounded corner of the bottle 1. The curved portion 33 is continuously connected to the curved portion 23 of the body portion 12. The curved portion 33 approaches the central axis of the bottle 1 as it moves from its upper end towards its center, and moves away from the central axis as it moves downward from the center. Therefore, the width of the curved portion 33 along the circumferential direction is longest at the center, and a constriction is provided therein.

[0036] The leg portion 14 is a cylindrical portion connecting the constricted portion 13 and the bottom portion 15. The lower end portion 14a of the leg portion 14 is connected to the bottom portion 15 and is chamfered. In the first embodiment, the lower end portion 14a is chamfered with an R chamfer. The radius of curvature of the lower end portion 14a is, for example, 2.0 mm or more and 6.0 mm or less. The smaller the radius of curvature, the larger the area of ​​the bottom surface 51 (details will be described later) included in the bottom portion 15 can be. In addition, the smaller the radius of curvature, the greater the tendency for the buckling strength of the bottle 1 to increase. For example, from the viewpoint of the rigidity of the bottle 1, the radius of curvature may be 4.0 mm or less, 3.0 mm or less, or 2.5 mm or less.

[0037] The outer surface 41 of the leg portion 14 has four main planar portions 42 and four curved portions 43. In plan view, the main planar portions 42 and the curved portions 43 are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction. The boundaries between the main planar portions 42 and the curved portions 43 are chamfered. In the first embodiment, the boundaries are rounded for the viewpoint of buckling strength and the like. From the viewpoint of the rigidity of the bottle 1, the four main planar portions 42 and the four curved portions 43 have the same shape. For this reason, one of the four main planar portions 42 and one of the four curved portions 43 will be described in detail below.

[0038] The main planar portion 42 is a plane that is continuously connected to the main planar portion 32 of the constricted portion 13. The main planar portion 42 has an upper region 42a, a central region 42b, and a lower region 42c. The upper region 42a is a region that is continuously connected to the main planar portion 32 of the constricted portion 13. The width of the upper region 42a along the circumferential direction widens as it goes downwards. The central region 42b is a planar region located between the upper region 42a and the lower region 42c in the vertical direction. In the circumferential direction, the width of the central region 42b is constant and is approximately the same as the maximum width of the upper region 42a. The lower region 42c is a planar region that extends downwards from the lower end of the central region 42b. The width of the lower region 42c along the circumferential direction narrows as it goes downwards. In the first embodiment, in the vertical direction, the dimensions of the upper region 42a are longer than the dimensions of the lower region 42c, but are not limited to this. The upper region 42a, the central region 42b, and the lower region 42c are located on the same plane, but are not limited to this. In the first embodiment, the main plane portion 22, the main plane portion 32, and the main plane portion 42 are located on the same plane, but are not limited to this.

[0039] The main flat portion 42 is provided with recesses 44 that extend vertically from the bottom portion 15 toward the mouth portion 3. In the first embodiment, the recesses 44 are provided in the upper region 42a, the central region 42b, and the lower region 42c. The recesses 44 are spaced apart from the grooves G5 of the constricted portion 13. In the vertical direction, the recesses 44 are aligned with the grooves G1 and G2 of the body portion 12 and the groove G5 of the constricted portion 13, but are not limited to this. In the first embodiment, the recesses 44 overlap with a part of the groove G3 and a part of the groove G4 in the vertical direction, but are not limited to this. The dimensions of the recesses 44 along the vertical direction are, for example, 20 mm to 60 mm. The dimensions of the recesses 44 along the circumferential direction are, for example, 10 mm to 35 mm. The depth of the recesses 44 is, for example, 1.0 mm to 8.0 mm. In the first embodiment, the recesses 44 become deeper closer to the bottom portion 15. In other words, the recess 44 is closer to the central axis of the bottle 1 the closer it is to the bottom surface 15. In one example, the depth of the recess 44 is deeper than the depth of the shallow groove G5b, but less than or equal to the depth of the deep groove G5a. The greater the maximum depth of the recess 44, the higher the buckling strength of the bottle 1 tends to be. For this reason, the maximum depth of the recess 44 may be, for example, 3.0 mm or more, 4.0 mm or more, or 5.0 mm or more.

[0040] The recess 44 has a first inclined surface 44a, a second inclined surface 44b, and a bottom 44c located between the first inclined surface 44a and the second inclined surface 44b. In the recess 44, the first inclined surface 44a, the bottom 44c, and the second inclined surface 44b are aligned along the circumferential direction. The first inclined surface 44a and the second inclined surface 44b are planes that are inclined along the circumferential direction. The bottom 44c is a plane that is not inclined along the circumferential direction but is inclined along the vertical direction. In a front view, in the circumferential direction, the dimensions of the first inclined surface 44a are the same as the dimensions of the second inclined surface 44b and are larger than the dimensions of the bottom 44c. In the circumferential direction, the dimensions of the bottom 44c are smaller than the dimensions of the groove G5. The boundary between the first inclined surface 44a and the bottom 44c, and the boundary between the second inclined surface 44b and the bottom 44c, are each chamfered.

[0041] The curved portion 43 is the part that connects two adjacent main planar portions 42 in the circumferential direction and constitutes yet another part of the rounded corner of the bottle 1. The curved portion 43 has an upper region 43a, a central region 43b, and a lower region 43c. The upper region 43a is a curved region that is aligned with the upper region 42a in the circumferential direction and is continuously connected to the curved portion 33 of the constricted portion 13. The width of the upper region 43a along the circumferential direction narrows as it goes downwards. The central region 43b is a curved region located between the upper region 43a and the lower region 43c in the vertical direction. The width of the central region 43b along the circumferential direction is constant. The lower region 43c is a curved region that extends downwards from the lower end of the central region 43b. The width of the lower region 43c along the circumferential direction widens as it goes downwards. In the first embodiment, the lower region 43c approaches the central axis of the bottle 1 as it extends downwards. Therefore, the lower region 43c is inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

[0042] The bottom portion 15 is the part that makes up the bottom of the bottle 1 and is connected to the leg portion 14. The bottom portion 15 has a bottom surface 51 and a raised bottom portion 52. The bottom surface 51 is a ring-shaped contact surface and is located at the very bottom of the bottle 1. The wide portion 51a of the bottom surface 51 is the part that connects to the curved portion 43 of the leg portion 14. The narrow portion 51b of the bottom surface 51 is the part that connects to the main flat portion 42 of the leg portion 14. The inner periphery of the bottom surface 51 is circular, but is not limited to this. From the viewpoint of increasing the area of ​​the bottom surface 51, the shape of the inner periphery may be polygonal, etc. Each corner of the polygon may be rounded. The raised bottom portion 52 is located in the central part of the bottom portion 15 and is surrounded by the bottom surface 51. In the first embodiment, the raised base portion 52 is provided with a plurality of first recesses 52a extending radially and a plurality of second recesses 52b connecting adjacent recesses 52a in the circumferential direction, but is not limited to this.

[0043] The mouth portion 3 of the bottle 1 is the part that serves as the filling port, pouring port, and drinking spout, and is a cylindrical portion with a threaded portion 3a formed therein for attaching a cap (not shown). The bottle 1 is sealed when the cap is attached to the mouth portion 3. The mouth portion 3 is molded at the same time as the main body portion 2. As a result, the main body portion 2 and the mouth portion 3 are airtight and continuous.

[0044] In the bottle 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the constricted portion 13 is located below the body portion 12. Thereby, the ease of holding the bottle 1 can be improved. Further, the outer surface 41 of the leg portion 14 has four main plane portions 42 and four curved surface portions 43, and the main plane portions 42 and the curved surface portions 43 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the main body portion 2. In addition, each of the four main plane portions 42 is provided with a recess 44 extending in the vertical direction from the bottom surface portion 15 toward the mouth portion 3. By providing such a leg portion 14, the rigidity particularly below the constricted portion 13 can be improved. Therefore, even if the constriction is formed and the wall thickness is thinned, a bottle 1 capable of exhibiting rigidity (for example, resistance to buckling) that can withstand use can be provided.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the outer surface 21 of the body portion 12 includes four main plane portions 22 and four curved surface portions 23. Grooves G1 and G2 are provided in the four main plane portions 22, and a groove G5 is provided in the constricted portion 13. For this reason, the rigidity of each of the body portion 12 and the constricted portion 13 can be improved. Here, since the grooves G1, G2, and G5 extend in the vertical direction, the rigidity of each of the body portion 12 and the constricted portion 13 can be further improved. In addition, grooves G3 and G4 that extend in the vertical direction and are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction are provided in each of the four main plane portions 22. For this reason, the rigidity of the body portion 12 can be further improved.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the groove G5 provided in the constricted portion 13 has a pair of deep grooves G5a deeper than the grooves G1 to G4 provided in each of the four main plane portions 22, and is located between the pair of deep grooves G5a in the bottle axis direction and is shallower than the pair of deep grooves G5a. A shallow groove G5b is provided. For this reason, the rigidity of the constricted portion 13 can be further improved.

[0047] In the first embodiment, the recess 44 is deeper the closer it is to the bottom surface portion 15. For this reason, the rigidity around the constricted portion 13 can be further improved.

[0048] In the first embodiment, the boundaries between the main planar portions 22 and the curved surface portions 23, between the main planar portions 32 and the curved surface portions 33, and between the main planar portions 42 and the curved surface portions 43 may each be chamfered. In this case, the rigidity of each of the body portion 12, the constricted portion 13, and the leg portion 14 can be further improved.

[0049] In the first embodiment, the recess 44 has a first inclined surface portion 44a, a second inclined surface portion 44b, and a bottom portion 44c positioned between the first inclined surface portion 44a and the second inclined surface portion 44b, and the first inclined surface portion 44a, the bottom portion 44c, and the second inclined surface portion 44b may be arranged along the circumferential direction. In this case, the rigidity of the leg portion 14 can be further improved.

[0050] Hereinafter, the strength simulation results of the 3D data corresponding to the shape of the bottle 1 according to the first embodiment and the 3D data of the bottle according to the comparative example described below will be described. Two types of 3D data corresponding to the shape of the bottle 1 according to the first embodiment were prepared. Each 3D data was set to have a width of 60 mm, a depth of 60 mm, and a height of 205.5 mm. The four grooves provided in the body portion in each 3D data were set to have a long side of 37 mm, a short side of 4 mm, and a depth of 1.8 mm. The groove provided in the constricted portion of each 3D data was set to have a long side of 16 mm and a short side of 5 mm. In this groove, the depth of the shallow groove was set to 1.5 mm, and the depth of the deep groove was set to 3.0 mm. The recess provided in the leg portion of each 3D data was set to have a long side of 40 mm, a short side of 22 mm, and a depth of 2.3 mm to 3.0 mm. The radius of curvature of the lower end portion of the leg portion of each 3D data was set to 5.5 mm. The wall thickness of one of the 3D data was set to 0.28 mm, and the wall thickness of the other 3D data was set to 0.22 mm. Note that each wall thickness is the average value of the thickness of the body portion. The same applies to all the wall thicknesses described later. Hereinafter, the above one 3D data will be referred to as the first 3D data, the above other 3D data will be referred to as the second 3D data, and the 3D data of the bottle according to the comparative example will be referred to as the comparative 3D data.

[0051] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a bottle according to a comparative example. As shown in Figure 6, the bottle 100 according to the comparative example comprises a main body portion 102 and a mouth portion 103 connected to the main body portion 102, similar to the bottle 1 according to the first embodiment. The main body portion 102 comprises a shoulder portion 111, a body portion 112, a constricted portion 113, and a bottom portion 115, similar to the main body portion 2 of the bottle 1. In addition, the main body portion 102 has a base portion 114, which is a cylindrical portion connecting the constricted portion 113 and the bottom portion 115, instead of the leg portion 14 of the bottle 1. Furthermore, the main body portion 102 is provided with an annular bead 151 located at the upper end of the body portion 112, an annular bead 152 located in the center of the constricted portion 113, and an annular bead 153 located between the constricted portion 113 and the base portion 114.

[0052] Each main flat surface 122 of the body 112 is provided with grooves G101 to G103 that extend circumferentially and are recessed toward the central axis (not shown) of the bottle 100. The grooves G101 to G103 are arranged sequentially in the vertical direction and are spaced apart from each other. Groove G101 is located at the uppermost position among grooves G101 to G103. Groove G101 is a recess that has a roughly square shape when viewed from the side. Groove G101 is provided with a plurality of deep groove portions G101a that extend circumferentially and a plurality of shallow groove portions G101b that extend circumferentially. In the vertical direction, the deep groove portions G101a and shallow groove portions G101b are arranged alternately. Groove G102 is a horizontally elongated recess that has a roughly rhomboid shape when viewed from the side. Groove G103 is a recess that has a roughly inverted trapezoid shape when viewed from the side. The groove G103 is provided with a plurality of deep groove portions G103a extending along the circumferential direction and a plurality of shallow groove portions G103b extending along the circumferential direction. In the vertical direction, the deep groove portions G103a and shallow groove portions G103b are arranged alternately. Each main flat portion 142 of the base portion 114 is provided with a groove G104 that extends along the circumferential direction and is recessed toward the central axis (not shown) in place of the recess 44 of the bottle 1. The groove G104 is a recess that has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the side. The groove G104 is provided with a pair of deep groove portions G104a extending along the circumferential direction and a shallow groove portion G104b extending along the circumferential direction. In the vertical direction, the shallow groove portions G104b are located between the pair of deep groove portions G104a.

[0053] The comparative 3D data, which is the 3D data of bottle 100 related to the comparative example, was set to have a width of 60 mm, a depth of 60 mm, and a height of 205.5 mm. In the comparative 3D data, the width along the circumferential direction of the groove corresponding to groove G101 was set to 25.2 mm, and the dimension along the vertical direction of the groove was set to 22.0 mm. In addition, in the groove corresponding to groove G101, the depth of the deep groove portion was set to 1.4 mm, the depth of the shallow groove portion was set to 0.8 mm, and the dimension along the vertical direction of the shallow groove portion was set to 3.2 mm. The width along the circumferential direction (long side) of the groove corresponding to groove G102 was set to 27.8 mm, the maximum dimension along the vertical direction of the groove (short side) was set to 6.8 mm, and the depth of the groove was set to 1.4 mm. The circumferential width of groove G103 was set to 15.4 mm to 21.0 mm, and the vertical dimension of the groove was set to 4.0 mm. In addition, in groove G103, the depth of the deep groove portion was set to 1.4 mm, the depth of the shallow groove portion was set to 0.8 mm, and the vertical dimension of the shallow groove portion was set to 3.2 mm. The circumferential width of groove G104 was set to 27.3 mm, and the vertical dimension of the groove was set to 30.0 mm. In addition, in groove G104, the depth of the deep groove portion was set to 1.4 mm, the depth of the shallow groove portion was set to 0.8 mm, and the vertical dimension of the shallow groove portion was set to 3.7 mm. The wall thickness of the comparative 3D data was set to 0.28 mm.

[0054] Figure 7 is a graph showing the simulation results of the buckling strength of the first 3D data, the second 3D data, and the comparative 3D data. In Figure 7, the horizontal axis represents the amount of deformation, and the vertical axis represents the load. Each simulation result is obtained by fixing the bottom surface of the corresponding 3D data and applying a load vertically downward from the opening. In Figure 7, graph 61 shows the simulation result of the first 3D data, graph 62 shows the simulation result of the second 3D data, and graph 63 shows the simulation result of the comparative 3D data. As shown in Figure 7, when a predetermined load was applied, the amount of deformation of the comparative 3D data was greater than the amount of deformation of the first 3D data and the second 3D data. From this, it was obtained that the buckling strength of the first 3D data and the second 3D data was higher than the buckling strength of the comparative 3D data. From these results, it was confirmed that by adopting the shape of the bottle 1 according to the first embodiment, the buckling strength can be improved even when the wall thickness is reduced.

[0055] In addition, we prepared another 3D data based on the first 3D data described above. Specifically, we prepared a third 3D data (recess depth data) in which the maximum depth of the recess in the first 3D data was changed to 5.0 mm. Furthermore, we prepared a fourth 3D data in which the radius of curvature of the lower end of the leg portion of the third 3D data was changed to 4.0 mm, a fifth 3D data in which the radius of curvature of the lower end of the leg portion of the first 3D data was changed to 4.0 mm, and a sixth 3D data in which the radius of curvature of the lower end of the leg portion of the first 3D data was changed to 2.5 mm.

[0056] Figure 8 is a graph showing the simulation results of buckling strength for comparative 3D data, third 3D data, and first 3D data. In Figure 8, the horizontal axis represents deformation, and the vertical axis represents load. In Figure 8, graph 65 shows the simulation results for comparative 3D data, graph 66 shows the simulation results for third 3D data, and graph 67 shows the simulation results for first 3D data. As shown in Figure 8, when a predetermined load was applied, the deformation of the comparative 3D data was greater than that of the third 3D data and the first 3D data, and the deformation of the first 3D data was greater than that of the third 3D data. From this, it was found that the third 3D data showed a higher buckling strength than the first 3D data.

[0057] Figure 9 is a graph showing the simulation results of buckling strength for the first 3D data and the fourth to sixth 3D data. In Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents deformation, and the vertical axis represents load. In Figure 9, graph 71 shows the simulation results for the first 3D data, graph 72 shows the simulation results for the fourth 3D data, graph 73 shows the simulation results for the fifth 3D data, and graph 74 shows the simulation results for the sixth 3D data. As shown in Figure 9, when a predetermined load was applied, the deformation of the first 3D data was greater than that of the fourth to sixth 3D data. The buckling strengths of the fifth and sixth 3D data were higher than those of the fourth 3D data. Among the fourth to sixth 3D data, the buckling strength of the sixth 3D data was the greatest. From these results, it was found that when the radius of curvature of the lower end of the leg is 4.0 mm or less, the buckling strength of the bottle tends to be higher. Furthermore, when comparing the fourth and fifth 3D data sets, which have the same radius of curvature at the lower end of the leg, the buckling strength of the fourth 3D data set was greater than that of the fifth 3D data set. From the above, it was found that when the depth of the recess is sufficiently deep and the radius of curvature at the lower end of the leg is reduced, the bottle tends to become less prone to buckling. In other words, when the depth of the recess is greater than 3.0 mm and the radius of curvature at the lower end of the leg is 4.0 mm or less, the bottle tends to become less prone to buckling.

[0058] (Second Embodiment) The second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 12. In the description of the second embodiment, descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment described above will be omitted, and only the differences will be described. In other words, to the extent that it is technically possible, the description of the first embodiment may be used in the second embodiment as appropriate.

[0059] Figure 10 is a front perspective view showing the bottle according to the second embodiment. Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the middle section of the bottle according to the second embodiment. Figure 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main section of the bottle according to the second embodiment. The bottle 1A shown in Figures 10 to 12 differs from the bottle 1 of the first embodiment in that it includes a body section 12A and a constricted section 13A, which will be described in detail below.

[0060] As shown in Figures 10 to 12, the body portion 12A has multiple grooves G11 and multiple grooves G12 instead of grooves G1 to G4. The multiple grooves G11 are elongated recesses extending along the circumferential direction and are provided in the upper region 22a or the central region 22b. The dimensions of the multiple grooves G11 in a front view are the same as, but are not limited to. In this embodiment, three grooves G11 are provided for one main planar portion 22. The multiple grooves G12 are elongated recesses extending along the circumferential direction and are provided in the lower region 22c. The dimensions of the grooves G12 along the circumferential direction become smaller as they are located lower down. In the second embodiment, four grooves G12 are provided for one main planar portion 22. The depth of each groove G11 and the depth of each groove G12 are the same as, but are not limited to.

[0061] The constricted portion 13A does not have a groove G5. Instead, the constricted portion 13A has a bead 81 which has an annular shape in plan view. The bead 81 is a reinforcing portion provided to improve the lateral strength of the bottle 1A and is spaced apart from the main planar portion 22 of the body portion 12A. The bead 81 has a pair of first diameter-reducing portions 82 and a second diameter-reducing portion 83 located between the pair of first diameter-reducing portions 82 in the vertical direction. That is, the bead 81 has multiple bead portions. Each of the pair of first diameter-reducing portions 82 and the second diameter-reducing portion 83 have an annular shape in plan view. One of the first diameter-reducing portions 82 is continuously connected to the body portion 12A. The other first diameter-reducing portion 82 is continuously connected to the leg portion 14. In the second embodiment, the diameter of each first diameter-reducing portion 82 is constant, but is not limited to this. The second diameter-reduced portion 83 is the most constricted part of the constricted portion 13A and is connected to each of the pair of first diameter-reduced portions 82. The pair of first diameter-reduced portions 82 and the second diameter-reduced portion 83 each form a step on the surface of the constricted portion 13A. In the second embodiment, the center of the second diameter-reduced portion 83 in the vertical direction is the most constricted, but it is not limited to this.

[0062] In the bottle 1A according to the second embodiment described above, the constricted portion 13A is located below the body portion 12A. In addition, similar to the bottle 1 of the first embodiment, the bottle 1A has a leg portion 14. Therefore, the second embodiment exhibits the same effects and advantages as the first embodiment.

[0063] Furthermore, the constricted portion 13A of the bottle 1A according to the second embodiment has a bead 81. This ensures load-bearing capacity (side strength) on the side surface of the bottle 1A. In addition, the bead 81 has a pair of first diameter-reduced portions 82 and a second diameter-reduced portion 83 located between the pair of first diameter-reduced portions 82 in the vertical direction, with the second diameter-reduced portion 83 being the most constricted in the constricted portion 13A. As a result, steps are formed on the surface of the constricted portion 13A by the pair of first diameter-reduced portions 82 and the second diameter-reduced portion 83. Therefore, when a load is applied to the bottle 1A in the vertical direction, the first diameter-reduced portion 82 located between the body portion 12A and the second diameter-reduced portion 83 in the constricted portion 13A deforms as described below. That is, the upper side of the first diameter-reduced portion 82 deforms away from the central axis of the bottle 1A, and the lower side of the first diameter-reduced portion 82 deforms closer to the central axis of the bottle 1A. This deformation of the first diameter-reduced portion 82 suppresses the deformation of the second diameter-reduced portion 83. Therefore, the constricted portion 13A is less prone to deformation compared to the case where a single bead is provided in the constricted portion.

[0064] The following describes the strength simulation results for 3D data corresponding to the shape of bottle 1A according to the second embodiment and the 3D data of the bottle according to the comparative example described above. Two types of 3D data corresponding to the shape of bottle 1A according to the second embodiment were prepared. Each 3D data was set to have a width of 60 mm, a depth of 60 mm, a height of 205.5 mm, and a maximum constriction of 7 mm in the constricted portion. All grooves provided in the body of each 3D data were set to have a long side of 17 to 32 mm, a short side of 4 to 8 mm, and a depth of 1.5 mm. In the constricted portion of each 3D data, the diameter of the first reduced diameter portion was set to 56.4 mm, and the diameter of the second reduced diameter portion was set to 54 mm. The radius of curvature of the lower end of the leg portion of each 3D data was set to 5.5 mm. The wall thickness of one 3D data was set to 0.28 mm, and the wall thickness of the other 3D data was set to 0.22 mm. Hereafter, one of the 3D data sets mentioned above will be referred to as the 11th 3D data set, and the other 3D data set will be referred to as the 12th 3D data set.

[0065] Figure 13 is a graph showing the simulation results of the buckling strength of the 11th 3D data and the comparative 3D data. In Figure 13, the horizontal axis represents the amount of deformation, and the vertical axis represents the load. Each simulation result is obtained by fixing the bottom surface of the corresponding 3D data and applying a load vertically downward from the opening. In Figure 13, graph 91 shows the simulation result of the 11th 3D data, and graph 92 shows the simulation result of the comparative 3D data. As shown in Figure 13, when a predetermined load was applied, the amount of deformation of the comparative 3D data was greater than the amount of deformation of the 11th 3D data. Therefore, the buckling strength of the 11th 3D data was found to be higher than that of the comparative 3D data. From this result, it was confirmed that the buckling strength can be improved by adopting the shape of bottle 1A according to the second embodiment.

[0066] Figure 14 is a graph showing the simulation results of the lateral strength of the 11th 3D data and the comparative 3D data. In Figure 14, the horizontal axis represents the amount of deformation, and the vertical axis represents the load. For each simulation result, a load was applied from the side toward the central axis of the bottle at a position 90 mm from the bottom surface (i.e., approximately the center of the side of the bottle). This load was assumed to be applied to the bottle by a φ20 mm disc, representing a human finger. In Figure 14, graph 95 shows the simulation results of the 11th 3D data, and graph 96 shows the simulation results of the comparative 3D data. As shown in Figure 14, the lateral strength of the 11th 3D data was higher than that of the comparative 3D data. From these results, it was confirmed that a significant decrease in lateral strength can be suppressed by adopting the shape of bottle 1A according to the second embodiment.

[0067] (Third Embodiment) The third embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 15 to 17. In the description of the third embodiment, descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment described above will be omitted, and only the differences will be described. In other words, to the extent that it is technically possible, descriptions of the first and second embodiments may be used in the third embodiment as appropriate.

[0068] Figure 15 is a front perspective view showing the bottle according to the third embodiment. Figure 16 is a top perspective view of the bottle according to the third embodiment. Figure 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the bottle according to the third embodiment. The bottle 1B shown in Figures 15 to 17 differs from the bottle 1 of the first embodiment in that it includes a body portion 12B, a constricted portion 13B, and a leg portion 14A, which will be described in detail below. Note that the threaded portion 3a (see Figure 1, etc.) is omitted at the mouth portion 3 of the bottle 1B.

[0069] As shown in Figures 15 to 17, the outer surface 21A of the body 12B is provided with four recesses 210 (second recesses) intermittently arranged in the circumferential direction, instead of grooves G1 to G4. Each of the four recesses 210 is surrounded by one of the four main planar portions 22A included in the outer surface 21A and is recessed toward the central axis of the bottle 1B. In one example, a portion of the recess 210 along the circumferential direction widens toward the lower side in the vertical direction, while the other portion of the recess 210 along the circumferential direction narrows toward the lower side in the vertical direction. The depth of each recess 210 in the radial direction of the bottle 1B is the same, but not limited to this. Each recess 210 has a slanted portion 210a and a bottom portion 210b. The slanted portion 210a is the portion connecting the main planar portion 22A and the bottom portion 210b, and is inclined toward the central axis of the bottle 1B toward the bottom portion 210b. The boundary between the inclined portion 210a and the main planar portion 22A may be chamfered or rounded. The bottom portion 210b is a planar portion that extends parallel or substantially parallel to the corresponding main planar portion 22A. The boundary between the inclined portion 210a and the bottom portion 210b may be chamfered or rounded.

[0070] The body portion 12B has a plurality of partition portions 220 (second partition portions) provided within the recess 210 and extending in the circumferential direction. The plurality of partition portions 220 are portions that divide the bottom portion 210b of the recess 210 in the bottle axis direction and are arranged intermittently in the bottle axis direction. One end and the other end of each partition portion 220 in the circumferential direction are connected to the corresponding main plane portion 22A. Thus, the recess 210 is divided into an upper region and a lower region by each partition portion 220. Each partition portion 220 has a slanted portion 220a and a top portion 220b. The slanted portion 220a is the portion that connects the bottom portion 210b and the top portion 220b of the recess 210 and is inclined toward the central axis of the bottle 1B toward the bottom portion 210b. Each slanted portion 220a is continuously connected to the slanted portion 210a of the recess 210. The boundary between the sloping portion 220a and the bottom portion 210b may be chamfered or rounded. The top portion 220b is a planar portion that extends parallel or substantially parallel to the corresponding main planar portion 22A. In one example, the top portion 220b is located on the same plane as the corresponding main planar portion 22A. Therefore, there is no step or other difference between the top portion 220b and the corresponding main planar portion 22A. The boundary between the top portion 220b and the sloping portion 220a may be chamfered or rounded.

[0071] The body portion 12B is provided with a recess 210 and a partition portion 220, but the third embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, each portion of the recess 210 partitioned by the partition portion 220 may correspond to the grooves G11, G12, etc. in the second embodiment. In one example, each portion of the recess 210 may consist of either groove G11 or groove G12 alone, or it may consist of both groove G11 and groove G12.

[0072] The central region 23b included in the curved surface portion 23A is smaller compared to the first embodiment. In this case, the load-bearing capacity of the bottle 1B in the axial direction may be improved compared to the first embodiment. In one example, the boundary between the central region 23b and the lower region 23c in the curved surface portion 23A is aligned with one of the multiple partition portions 220 in the circumferential direction, but is not limited to this. Also, a clear boundary is not provided between the central region 23b and the lower region 23c so that the central region 23b and the lower region 23c form a single curved surface.

[0073] The constricted portion 13B has a reduced diameter portion 83A that functions as a bead, a first connecting portion 84 that connects the reduced diameter portion 83A to the body portion 12B, and a second connecting portion 85 that connects the reduced diameter portion 83A to the leg portion 14A. The reduced diameter portion 83A is the portion corresponding to the second reduced diameter portion 83 of the second embodiment described above, and has an annular shape in plan view. The first connecting portion 84 is a portion that narrows continuously from the body portion 12B toward the reduced diameter portion 83A, and has a substantially frustoconical cross-sectional shape. In other words, the first connecting portion 84 is a portion that widens continuously from the reduced diameter portion 83A toward the body portion 12B. The second connecting portion 85 is a portion that narrows continuously from the leg portion 14A toward the reduced diameter portion 83A, and has a substantially frustoconical cross-sectional shape. In other words, the second connecting portion 85 is a portion that widens continuously from the reduced diameter portion 83A toward the leg portion 14A.

[0074] Each recess 44A in the leg portion 14A is provided with a partition portion 45 extending in the circumferential direction. The partition portion 45 is a part that divides the bottom portion 44c of the recess 44A in the bottle axis direction. Each end of the partition portion 45 in the circumferential direction is connected to the corresponding main plane portion 42. As a result, the recess 44A is divided by the partition portion 45 into an upper recessed region O1 and a lower recessed region O2. The upper recessed region O1 includes a part of the first inclined surface portion 44a, a part of the second inclined surface portion 44b, and a part of the bottom portion 44c. The lower recessed region O2 includes the other part of the first inclined surface portion 44a, the other part of the second inclined surface portion 44b, and the other part of the bottom portion 44c. As shown in Figure 17, the depth of the upper recessed region O1 and the depth of the lower recessed region O2 are the same, but are not limited to this. In one example, the depth of the recess 210 in the body portion 12B is the same as the depth of the recess 44A, but this is not limited to that. The area of ​​a part of the bottom portion 44c is larger than the area of ​​the other part of the bottom portion 44c, but this is not limited to that.

[0075] The partition portion 45 has inclined portions 45a and 45b and a top portion 45c. Each of the inclined portions 45a and 45b is a portion that connects the bottom portion 44c and the top portion 45c of the recess 44A, and is inclined toward the central axis of the bottle 1B toward the bottom portion 44c. The inclined portion 45a is included in the upper recessed region O1, and the inclined portion 45b is included in the lower recessed region O2. Each of the inclined portions 45a and 45b is continuously connected to the first inclined portion 44a and the second inclined portion 44b of the recess 44A. The top portion 45c is a planar portion that extends parallel or substantially parallel to the corresponding main planar portion 42. The boundary between the top portion 45c and the inclined portion 45a, and the boundary between the top portion 45c and the inclined portion 45b, may be chamfered or rounded. In one example, the top portion 45c is located on the same plane as the corresponding main planar portion 42. Therefore, there is no step or other difference between the top portion 45c and the corresponding main planar portion 42. The top portion 45c may also be located on the same plane as the top portion 220b of the partition portion 220 included in the body portion 12B.

[0076] In the bottle 1B according to the third embodiment described above, the constricted portion 13B is located below the body portion 12B. In addition, the leg portion 14A of the bottle 1B has a partition portion 45 that is provided within the recess 44A and extends in the circumferential direction. As a result, when a load along the bottle axis is applied to the bottle 1B, the presence of the partition portion 45 prevents the recess 44A from expanding in the circumferential direction, thereby improving the rigidity of the leg portion 14A. Therefore, the third embodiment exhibits the same effects as the first embodiment described above.

[0077] In one example, the top 45c of the partition 45 may be located on the same plane as the main flat portion 42. In this case, the height from the bottom 44c of the recess 44A to the top 45c of the partition 45 is greatest, so the bending rigidity of the partition 45 is maximized. Therefore, deformation of the bottom 44c of the recess 44A can be suppressed, and the rigidity of the bottle 1B in the bottle axis direction can be improved.

[0078] In one example, a recess 210 is provided on the outer surface 21A of the body portion 12B, and the body portion 12B has a plurality of partition portions 220 provided within the recess 210 and extending in the circumferential direction, and the plurality of partition portions 220 may be intermittently arranged in the bottle axis direction. In this case, when a load along the bottle axis direction is applied to the bottle 1B, the presence of the plurality of partition portions 220 can suppress the circumferential expansion of the recess 210, thereby improving the rigidity of the body portion 12B. Alternatively, the outer surface 21A of the body portion 12B may have a main plane portion 22A surrounding the recess 210, and the top portion 220b of the partition portion 220 may be located on the same plane as the main plane portion 22A. In this case, the height from the bottom portion 210b of the recess 210 to the top portion 220b of the partition portion 220 is the highest, so the bending rigidity of the partition portion 220 is maximized. Therefore, deformation of the bottom portion 210b of the recess 210 can be suppressed, and the rigidity of the bottle 1B along the planar direction of the main planar portion 22A can be improved.

[0079] In the third embodiment described above, a clear boundary is not provided between the central region 23b and the lower region 23c so that the central region 23b and the lower region 23c form a single curved surface, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, a clear boundary may be provided between the central region 23b and the lower region 23c, as in the bottle 1C according to the first modified example shown in Figure 18. A clear inflection point may exist at this boundary. Also, in the third embodiment described above, four partitions 220 are provided within one recess 210 included in the body portion 12B, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, five partitions 220 may be provided within one recess 210, as in the bottle 1D according to the second modified example shown in Figure 19. In addition, in bottle 1D, the upper region 23a of the curved surface portion 23A may be narrower compared to bottles 1B and 1C. In one example, in the bottle axis direction, the dimension of the upper region 23a of bottle 1D is 5 mm to 15 mm shorter than the dimension of the upper region 23a of bottles 1B and 1C. Alternatively, although not shown, two or three partitions 220 may be provided within one recess 210, or six or more partitions 220 may be provided. Alternatively, the first and second modifications may be combined, as in the third modification shown in Figure 20, bottle 1E. That is, as in bottle 1E, five partitions 220 may be provided within one recess 210, and a clear boundary may be provided between the central region 23b and the lower region 23c.

[0080] The following describes the strength simulation results for 3D data corresponding to the shape of bottle 1B according to the third embodiment, 3D data corresponding to the shape of bottle 1C according to the first modification, 3D data corresponding to the shape of bottle 1D according to the second modification, 3D data corresponding to the shape of bottle 1E according to the third modification, and the 3D data of the bottle according to the comparative example described above. The 3D data corresponding to the shapes of bottles 1B to 1E were prepared according to the following conditions. Each 3D data was set to have a width of 60 mm, a depth of 60 mm, a height of 205.5 mm, and a maximum constriction of 7.0 mm in the constricted part. In the 3D data of bottles 1B and 1C, the recess provided in the body was set to have a height of 83 mm, a maximum width of 30 mm, a minimum width of 19 mm, and a depth of 2 mm. In bottles 1B and 1C, the spacing between each partition provided in the recess along the bottle axis was set to 14 mm, and the dimension of each partition along the bottle axis was set to 2.0 mm. In the 3D data for bottles 1D and 1E, the recess provided in the body was set to have a height of 88 mm, a maximum width of 30 mm, a minimum width of 19 mm, and a depth of 2.0 mm. In bottles 1D and 1E, the spacing between each partition within the recess along the bottle axis was set to 13.5 mm, and the dimension of each partition along the bottle axis was set to 2.0 mm. In the bottle axis direction, the dimension of the upper region 23a of bottles 1D and 1E was set to be 10 mm to 15 mm shorter than the dimension of the upper region 23a of bottles 1B and 1C. The wall thickness of the 3D data for bottles 1B to 1E was set to 0.22 mm. On the other hand, the wall thickness of the 3D data for the bottle in the comparative example was set to 0.28 mm. Therefore, the 3D data for bottles 1B to 1E are all thinner than the 3D data for the bottle in the comparative example.

[0081] In the following, the 3D data for bottle 1B will be referred to as 3D data 21, the 3D data for bottle 1C as 3D data 22, the 3D data for bottle 1D as 3D data 23, and the 3D data for bottle 1E as 3D data 24.

[0082] Figure 21 is a graph showing the simulation results of buckling strength for 3D data 21 to 24 and comparative 3D data. In Figure 21, the horizontal axis represents the amount of deformation, and the vertical axis represents the load. Each simulation result is obtained by fixing the bottom surface of a 1 / 4 model of the corresponding 3D data and applying a load vertically downward from the opening, changing it by 5 mm. In Figure 21, graph 301 shows the simulation result of 3D data 21, graph 302 shows the simulation result of 3D data 22, graph 303 shows the simulation result of 3D data 23, graph 304 shows the simulation result of 3D data 24, and graph 305 shows the simulation result of comparative 3D data. As shown in Figure 21, the buckling strength of 3D data 21 to 24 was higher than that of comparative 3D data. From these results, it was confirmed that by adopting the shapes of bottles 1B to 1E, the buckling strength can be improved even if the wall thickness of the bottle itself is reduced. Furthermore, no difference in buckling strength was observed due to the differences in the shape of bottles 1B to 1E.

[0083] Figure 22 is a graph showing the simulation results of the lateral strength of 3D data 21 to 24 and comparative 3D data. In Figure 22, the horizontal axis represents the amount of downward displacement of the loaded position, and the vertical axis represents the load. Each simulation result was calculated according to the following conditions. First, a single plate (rigid body) was brought into contact with one of the second main planes of the body and one of the first main planes of the legs of the bottle, which is the loaded object. Then, a load was applied to the bottle from the side in the direction of the central axis of the bottle by the plate. This load simulates the weight of a bottle loaded in a vending machine and is applied to the bottle via the plate. Here, the bottle was supported by a pair of bars (rigid bodies) having a roughly triangular prism shape and a plate-shaped support. Each of the pair of bars is positioned on the opposite side of the plate via the bottle. The cross-sectional shape of each bar is a right-angled isosceles triangle. In each bar, the contact surface that contacts the bottle contacts one of the first curved portions of the bottle's stem and one of the first main planar portions of the bottle's stem. Therefore, each contact surface contacts the bottle at a 45-degree angle to each main planar portion of the bottle. The support is connected to one of the pair of bars and also supports another of the second main planar portions of the body and another of the first main planar portions of the stem.

[0084] In Figure 22, graph 311 shows the simulation results for the 21st 3D data, graph 312 shows the simulation results for the 22nd 3D data, graph 313 shows the simulation results for the 23rd 3D data, graph 314 shows the simulation results for the 24th 3D data, and graph 315 shows the simulation results for the comparative 3D data. As shown in Figure 22, when a predetermined load was applied, buckling was observed in the comparative 3D data when a load exceeding 160 N was applied. On the other hand, in the 21st to 24th 3D data, no buckling was observed even when a load of 200 N or more was applied. From these results, it was confirmed that by adopting the shapes of bottles 1B to 1E, a significant decrease in lateral strength can be suppressed even if the wall thickness of the bottle itself is reduced.

[0085] Comparing graphs 311 to 314, the lateral strength of the 21st 3D data (i.e., graph 311) and the 23rd 3D data (i.e., graph 313) tend to be higher than that of the 22nd 3D data (i.e., graph 312) and the 24th 3D data (i.e., graph 314). This confirms that the lateral strength of the bottle can be improved when the upper region is short and there is no clear boundary between the central and lower regions so that they form a single curved surface. Furthermore, comparing graphs 311 and 313, the lateral strength of the 23rd 3D data tends to be higher than that of the 21st 3D data. Comparing graphs 312 and 314, the lateral strength of the 24th 3D data tends to be higher than that of the 22nd 3D data. This confirms that having five partitions rather than four can improve the lateral strength of the bottle.

[0086] A bottle relating to one aspect of the present disclosure is as described in [1] to

[17] below, for example, and has been described in detail based on the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above. [1] A bottle comprising a main body having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a mouth connected to the upper end of the main body, wherein the main body has a shoulder located below the mouth, a body located below the shoulder, a constricted portion located below the body, a leg located below the constricted portion, and a bottom surface connected to the leg, the outer surface of the leg has four first main planar portions and four first curved portions, the first main planar portions and the first curved portions are alternately arranged on the outer surface of the leg in the circumferential direction of the main body, and each of the four first main planar portions is provided with a recess extending from the bottom surface toward the mouth along the bottle axis. [2] The bottle according to [1], wherein the outer surface of the body includes four second main planar portions and four second curved portions, and grooves are provided in each of the four second main planar portions and the constricted portion. [3] The bottle according to [2], wherein the grooves extend along the bottle axis. [4] The bottle according to [2] or [3], wherein the grooves provided in each of the four second main planar portions include a plurality of first grooves that extend along the bottle axis and are arranged along the circumferential direction. [5] The bottle according to [2] or [3], wherein the grooves provided in the constricted portion extend along the bottle axis, and the grooves provided in the constricted portion include a pair of deep grooves that are deeper than the grooves provided in each of the four second main planar portions, and a shallow groove that is located between the pair of deep grooves in the bottle axis and is shallower than the pair of deep grooves. [6] The bottle according to [5], wherein the pair of deep grooves are separated by the shallow groove. [7] The bottle according to [5] or [6], wherein the depth of the recess is greater than the depth of the shallow groove and less than or equal to the depth of the pair of deep grooves. [8] The bottle according to [5] or [6], wherein the depth of the shallow groove is shallower than the depth of the groove provided in the body and the depth of the recess. [9] The bottle according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the recess is deeper closer to the bottom surface.

[10] The bottle according to any one of [2] to [8], wherein the boundary between the first main planar portion and the first curved portion, and the boundary between the second main planar portion and the second curved portion are chamfered.

[11] The bottle according to any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the recess has a first inclined portion, a second inclined portion, and a bottom portion located between the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion, and the first inclined portion, the bottom portion, and the second inclined portion are arranged along the circumferential direction.

[12] The bottle according to any one of [1] to

[11] , wherein the leg portion has a partition portion provided in the recess and extending in the circumferential direction, and the recess is divided by the partition portion into an upper recessed region and a lower recessed region.

[13] The bottle according to

[12] , wherein the top of the partition portion is located on the same plane as the first main planar portion.

[14] A bottle according to either

[12] or

[13] , which is subordinate to [1], wherein a second recess is provided on the outer surface of the body, and the body has a plurality of second partitions provided in the second recess and extending in the circumferential direction, and the plurality of second partitions are intermittently arranged in the bottle axis direction.

[15] A bottle according to

[14] , wherein the depth of the recess is the same as the depth of the second recess.

[16] A bottle according to either

[14] or

[15] , wherein the outer surface of the body has a second main plane portion surrounding the second recess, and the top of the second partition portion is located on the same plane as the second main plane portion.

[17] A bottle according to any one of [1] to

[16] , wherein the boundary between the first main plane portion and the first curved portion is chamfered with an R chamfer.

[0087] However, one aspect of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and [1] to

[17] above. One aspect of this disclosure can be further modified without departing from its essence. For example, the first embodiment, the second embodiment and the third embodiment may be combined with each other. For example, the constricted portion of the bottle according to the first embodiment may be the constricted portion disclosed in the second embodiment or the constricted portion disclosed in the third embodiment. Also, the body of the bottle according to the second embodiment may be the body disclosed in the first embodiment. The leg portion disclosed in the first embodiment may be the leg portion disclosed in the third embodiment, and the leg portion disclosed in the second embodiment may be the leg portion disclosed in the third embodiment.

[0088] In the first embodiment described above, grooves G1 to G5 extend along the vertical direction, but are not limited to this. For example, at least one of grooves G1 to G5 may extend in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. In the second embodiment described above, grooves G11 and G12 extend along the circumferential direction, but are not limited to this. For example, at least one of grooves G11 and G12 may extend in a direction intersecting the circumferential direction.

[0089] In each of the above embodiments, the body has a main flat portion and a curved portion, but is not limited to this. For example, the body does not have to have a main flat portion. In this case, for example, in the third embodiment above, the inclined portion and the curved portion of the recess may be continuously connected.

[0090] 1, 1A to 1E...Bottle, 2, 2B...Body part, 2a...Top end, 3...Mouth part, 3a...Screw part, 11...Shoulder part, 12, 12A, 12B...Body part, 13, 13A, 13B...Neck part, 14, 14A...Leg part , 14a...Lower end part, 15...Bottom part, 21, 21A...Outer surface, 22, 22A...Main plane part (second principal plane part), 22a...Upper area, 22b... Center area, 22c...Lower area, 23, 23A...Curved surface part (second curved surface part), 23a...upper region, 23b...center region, 23c...lower region, 31...outer surface, 32...main plane part (third main plane part), 33...curved surface part (third curved surface part), 41...outer surface, 42...main plane Surface portion (first main plane portion), 42a...upper region, 42b...center region, 42c...lower region, 43...curved surface section (first curved surface section), 43a...upper region, 43b...center region, 43c...lower region, 44, 44 A...recess, 44a...first slope, 44b...second slope, 44c...bottom, 45...partition, 45a...slope, 45b...slope, 45c...top, 51...bottom, 51a...wide, 51b...narrow, 52...raised bottom, 52a...first recess, 52b...second recess, 81...bead, 82...first diameter reduction, 83...second diameter reduction, 83A...decrease, 84...first connection, 85...second connection, 210...recess ( 2nd recess), 210a...Slope part, 210b...Bottom part, 220...Partition part (second partition part), 220a...Slope part, 220b...Top part, G1 to G4...Groove, G5...Groove, G5a...Deep groove, G5b...Shallow groove, G1 1, G12...Groove, G101-G104...Groove, G101a, G103a, G104a...Deep groove portion, G101b, G103b, G104b...Shallow groove portion, O1...Upper recessed region, O2...Lower recessed region.

Claims

1. A bottle comprising a main body having a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a mouth connected to the upper end of the main body, wherein the main body has a shoulder located below the mouth, a body located below the shoulder, a constricted portion located below the body, a leg located below the constricted portion, and a bottom surface connected to the leg, the outer surface of the leg has four first main planar portions and four first curved portions, the first main planar portions and first curved portions are alternately arranged on the outer surface of the leg in the circumferential direction of the main body, and each of the four first main planar portions is provided with a recess extending from the bottom surface toward the mouth along the bottle axis.

2. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the body portion includes four second main planar portions and four second curved portions, and grooves are provided in each of the four second main planar portions and the constricted portion.

3. The bottle according to claim 2, wherein the groove extends along the axial direction of the bottle.

4. The bottle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein each of the four second main planar portions includes a plurality of first grooves that extend along the bottle axis and are arranged along the circumferential direction.

5. The bottle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the groove provided in the constricted portion extends along the bottle axis direction, and the groove provided in the constricted portion is provided with a pair of deep grooves that are deeper than the grooves provided in each of the four second main planar portions, and a shallow groove that is located between the pair of deep grooves in the bottle axis direction and is shallower than the pair of deep grooves.

6. The bottle according to claim 5, wherein the pair of deep grooves are separated by the shallow grooves.

7. The bottle according to claim 5, wherein the depth of the recess is greater than the depth of the shallow groove and less than or equal to the depth of the pair of deep grooves.

8. The bottle according to claim 5, wherein the depth of the shallow groove is shallower than the depth of the groove provided in the body and the depth of the recess.

9. The bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recess is deeper closer to the bottom surface.

10. The bottle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the boundary between the first main planar portion and the first curved portion, and the boundary between the second main planar portion and the second curved portion are each chamfered.

11. The bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recess has a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface, and a bottom located between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, and the first inclined surface, the bottom, and the second inclined surface are arranged along the circumferential direction.

12. The bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the leg portion is provided in the recess and has a partition portion extending in the circumferential direction, and the recess is divided into an upper recessed region and a lower recessed region by the partition portion.

13. The bottle according to claim 12, wherein the top of the partition portion is located on the same plane as the first main plane portion.

14. The bottle according to claim 12, which is dependent on claim 1, wherein a second recess is provided on the outer surface of the body portion, the body portion has a plurality of second partition portions provided within the second recess and extending in the circumferential direction, and the plurality of second partition portions are intermittently arranged in the bottle axis direction.

15. The bottle according to claim 14, wherein the depth of the recess is the same as the depth of the second recess.

16. The bottle according to claim 14, wherein the outer surface of the body has a second main planar portion surrounding the second recess, and the top of the second partition portion is located on the same plane as the second main planar portion.

17. The bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the boundary between the first main planar portion and the first curved portion is a curved surface.

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