Plastic beverage container

Abstract

A beverage container including a finger insertion indentation is provided. The beverage container includes a barrel portion having a substantially square cross-sectional shape defined by a plurality of walls including at least a front wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall. The container also includes a pair of indentations formed in at least one of the front and rear walls for insertion of, and engagement with, a finger, and a column portion separating the pair of indentations into left and right portions. Each of the pair of indentations has a bottom wall, a first side wall extending from the bottom wall to the column portion, and a second side wall extending from the bottom wall and facing the first side wall, the second side wall having a peak portion extending along a corner portion of the substantially square cross-sectional shape.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a plastic beverage container or bottle for holding liquids such as soft drinks and the like, and more particularly to a plastic beverage container or bottle that is easy to hold.

2. Background of the Invention

Generally, a plastic bottle, such as a PET bottle, is widely known and marketed as a beverage container. Some large capacity bottles of approximately one to two liters have been improved with respect to ease-of-holding when pouring a drink. In the bottles described in Japanese Published Patent Application 2005-247393 and Japanese Patent 3059975, for example, a finger insertion indentation into which a consumer can insert and engage his or her finger is formed on the barrel portion of the bottle. On these bottles, a single finger insertion indentation is formed at the center of both the front wall and the rear wall of the barrel portion such that the consumer can hold the barrel portion using either the left or right hand alone. The finger insertion indentations are configured by sharing a portion of a ring-shaped concave rib, which assures the strength of the barrel portion.

Depending on bottle size or the cross-sectional shape, however, a consumer with small hands may not be able to reach the front or rear finger insertion indentation with his or her fingers, or even if the consumer can reach the indentation, he or she may be straining to hold the bottle, making it difficult to pour the drink in the bottle. For example, when the cross sectional shape is a rectangle and a finger insertion indentation is formed on a long-sided wall, the distance from the short-sided wall to the finger insertion indentation increases, making it difficult to hold the bottle with one hand using the finger insertion indentation. Forming the finger insertion indentation to be large enough to span the entire width of the barrel portion may address this problem. However, such a configuration reduces the strength of the barrel portion (particularly, longitudinal strength) as well as the strength of the finger insertion indentation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a plastic bottle that improves the ease of one-handed holding of the barrel portion while assuring the strength of the barrel portion and an indentation for insertion of a finger.

In accordance with the invention, a beverage container includes a barrel portion having a substantially square cross-sectional shape defined by a plurality of walls including at least a front wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall. The container also includes a pair of indentations formed in at least one of the front and rear walls for insertion of, and engagement with, a finger, and a column portion separating the pair of indentations into left and right portions. Each of the pair of indentations has a bottom wall, a first side wall extending from the bottom wall to the column portion, and a second side wall extending from the bottom wall and facing the first side wall, the second side wall having a peak portion extending along a corner portion of the substantially square cross-sectional shape.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows. Still other objects and advantages will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a plastic bottle according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the plastic bottle in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the plastic bottle in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view at line IV-IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a plastic bottle according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the plastic bottle in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the plastic bottle in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the plastic bottle in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9(A) is an expanded, front view of the center barrel portion of the plastic bottle in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9(B) is an expanded, left side view of the center barrel portion of the plastic bottle in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at line X-X in FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is a front view of another plastic bottle;

FIG. 12 is a left side view of the plastic bottle in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the plastic bottle in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view at line XIV-XIV in FIG. 11.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In one embodiment, a beverage container or bottle includes a barrel portion having a substantially square cross-sectional shape defined by a plurality of walls including at least a front wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall. The container also includes a pair of indentations formed in at least one of the front and rear walls for insertion of, and engagement with, a finger, and a column portion separating the pair of indentations into left and right portions. Each of the pair of indentations has a bottom wall, a first side wall extending from the bottom wall to the column portion, and a second side wall extending from the bottom wall and facing the first side wall, the second side wall having a peak portion extending along a corner portion of the substantially square cross-sectional shape.

The bottle according to this embodiment permits even persons with small hands to easily insert a finger into one of the pair of indentations. Therefore, one-handed ease of holding of the barrel portion can be improved without forcing users to strain at holding the bottle. At the same time, because there is a column portion between the pair of indentations, longitudinal strength of the barrel portion can also be assured. Also, a peak portion of the second side wall is formed using the comparatively high strength corner portion of the substantially square cross-sectional parts. This enables effective improvement of the strength of the second side wall on which a fingertip is engaged when the bottle is tilted.

The sloping angle from the bottom wall is preferably more gradual on the first side wall than on the second side wall. By so doing, the relatively gradual first side wall enables an improvement in the ease of fingertip insertion into the indentation. It also permits a relatively large rib effect to be achieved using the relatively steep second side wall, thereby increasing the strength thereof.

Preferably the first side wall may have a portion that is sloped with respect to the up and down direction such that the tip of a finger inserted in the indentation is inclined to the center axis side. This configuration may be useful, for example, in cases where the pour spout for a liquid is on the center axis of the bottle. Specifically, fitting of the finger into the indentation is stabilized when the bottle is tilted in order to pour a liquid. This makes it easier to pour a liquid.

In one embodiment, the indentation preferably has a third side wall connecting the top side portion of the first side wall and the second side wall, and the third side wall is preferably curved upwardly. In such configuration, fingertips more easily conform to the third side wall compared to the case in which the third side wall is flat. Concentration of stress when a load is applied to the third wall can also be avoided, as can flexion of the bottle.

The indentation is preferably formed to face the front and rear walls. By so doing, fingertips can be engaged on the indentations at the front and rear, significantly improving ease of bottle holding.

Also, the plurality of walls may preferably have corner walls connecting between the front wall, rear wall, left wall, and right wall, respectively. The peak portion formed on the front wall also preferably extends along the corner portion connecting the front wall to the corner wall, and the peak portion formed on the rear wall preferably extends along the corner portion connecting the rear wall to the corner wall.

The indentation is preferably positioned in the vicinity of the center of gravity when the plastic bottle is fully filled with a fluid. By so doing, ease of holding can be improved by such means as enabling fingertips to be engaged on the indentation close to the center of gravity. Stable handling is also enabled; when a liquid is poured into a glass, for example, stable manipulation can be achieved by rotating [the bottle] in a trajectory centered on the holding hand when tilting the bottle horizontally.

In one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the bottle is more preferably a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape having the length of the front and rear walls longer than that of the left and right walls. The barrel portion preferably includes an upper barrel portion, a lower barrel portion, and a center barrel portion between the upper barrel portion and the lower barrel portion. The center barrel portion preferably contains the center of gravity and has indentations formed within it. It is also preferable for the center barrel portion to have constricted portions on the left and right side walls which curve inward more than the upper barrel portion and the lower barrel portion when viewed from the front side and the rear side. By using the constricted portions, this configuration allows the distance from the left and right walls to the indentations to be shortened. This then enables easier gripping of the center barrel portion and allows people to hold the bottle at a position closer to the center of gravity. Also it enables people to recognize which part of the bottle to hold easier.

The constricted portion is more preferably formed to span over the entire area of the center barrel portion. So doing allows the constricted portions to be formed over a wide span, thereby improving not only ease of holding but also bottle design characteristics.

The bottle preferably has a shoulder portion connected to the top end of the barrel portion, a bottom portion connected to the bottom end of the barrel portion, and a reinforcing concave rib formed on at least one of the shoulder portion, the barrel portion, and the bottom portion. The sectional shape of the bottom surface of the concave rib is preferably dissimilar to the substantially rectangular sectional shape in portions not having a concave rib. By so doing, the reinforcing effect on transverse strength from the concave rib can be increased, and deformation of the shoulder portion, barrel portion, or bottom portion can be suppressed.

Referring to the figures, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plastic bottle 1 is formed by stretch molding methods such as biaxial stretch-blow molding or the like using a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or the like as a primary material. Here, the bottle 1 is formed into a rectangular bottle with a height of approximately 300 mm and a capacity of approximately 2000 ml. The capacity of the bottle is freely selectable, but the present embodiment may be well suited for large capacity bottles for 700 ml or greater.

After molding, the bottle 1 is washed and sterilized, then filled with drink. Non-carbonated drinks such as water, green tea, oolong tea, or fruit juices and the like are examples of such drinks. In general, internal bottle pressure is negative for non-carbonated drinks, which weakens bottle strength so that concave ribs are formed on the bottle to assure that strength. The bottle 1 of the present embodiment has concave ribs 11 and 12, described below, and is therefore well suited for filling with non-carbonated drinks. In other embodiments, however, the liquid filled into the bottle 1 may be a carbonated drink or a food product such as a sauce, rice vinegar, or the like.

Various terms used in this specification are defined as follows.

The terms “up,” “down,” “left,” “right,” “front” and “rear” are used in reference to directions or parts of the bottle shown in FIG. 1. The up-down or vertical direction means the center axis Y-Y direction of the bottle 1. The bottle 1 left-right length and front-rear length respectively correspond to the width and depth of the bottle 1. Height means the length along the center axis Y-Y. Sectional or cross-sectional shape means the sectional shape of a plane (sectional surface) of the bottle 1 perpendicular to the center axis Y-Y. Circumferential direction means the direction of circulation along the profile of the sectional shape.

In order starting from the top of the center axis Y-Y, the bottle 1 has a spout portion 2, a shoulder portion 3, a barrel portion 4, and a bottom portion 5. These portions 2-5 are integrally formed, constituting bottle walls capable of holding drinks within. The center of gravity G for a bottle 1 filled with a drink is on the center axis Y-Y. The spout portion 2 opens at its top end and functions as a pour spout for drinks. The opening at the spout portion 2 opens and closes using a cap (not shown in figures). The shoulder portion 3 connects to the bottom end of the opening portion 2. The sectional shape of the shoulder portion 3 gradually expands downwardly, and the bottom end of the shoulder portion 3 is connected to the top end of the barrel portion 4. The boundary between the shoulder portion 3 and the barrel portion 4 is demarcated by the concave rib 11. The bottom portion 5 comprises a bottom wall 21 and a perimeter wall 22. The perimeter wall 22 is a part that rises from the perimeter of the bottom wall 21 in a widening fashion, and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The concave rib 12 is continuous at the top end of the perimeter wall 22, and a boundary is marked by the concave rib 12 between the bottom portion 5 and the barrel portion 4.

For ease of explanation, the boundaries of the shoulder portion 3, the barrel portion 4, and the bottom portion 5 using the concave ribs 11 and 12 are demarcated, but the top end of the barrel portion 4 may also be positioned on the upper side of the concave rib 11, or the bottom end of the barrel portion 4 positioned on the lower side of the concave rib 12, etc.

The barrel portion 4 extends in a vertical direction between the shoulder portion 3 and the bottom portion 5. The barrel portion 4 is formed to be left-right and front-rear symmetrical around the center axis Y-Y. The barrel portion 4 is constituted to have basically a substantially rectangular shape having a plurality of walls 41-45. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 the sectional shape includes a front wall 41, a rear wall 42, a left side wall 43, a right side wall 44, and four corner walls 45 respectively connecting between these walls. The length of the front and rear walls 41 and 42 (i.e. the width) is longer than the length of the left and right side walls 43 and 44 (i.e. the depth).

As shown in FIG. 3, the corner wall 45 may be a curved surface that curves outwardly and is connected to the other walls 41-44 via two corner portions 46a and 46b. The corner portions 46a and 46b are respectively rounded to a predetermined radius. The relationship between the corner portions 46a and 46b in the corner wall 45 is that the corner portion 46a is connected to the left and right side walls 43 and 44, and the corner portion 46b is connected to the front and rear walls 41 and 42. Thus, the sectional shape of the barrel portion 4 has a total of eight corner portions 46a and 46b, and is therefore precisely speaking octagonal. However, such a shape is included in the “substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape” description above. This is because in the cross-sectional shape, the length of the corner walls 45 is shorter than that of the other walls 41-44, therefore the space between each of the walls 41-44 may also be seen to be rounded, with the result that when what is precisely described as the octagonal cross-section is viewed as a whole, it can be categorized as “substantially rectangular.”

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the barrel portion 4 is divided into three areas in the vertical direction, having an upper barrel portion 51, a center barrel portion 52, and a lower barrel portion 53. The basis for this division is the presence or absence of a center of gravity G, indentations 56 and 57, and a column portion 58. The location where these are present is deemed the center barrel portion 52. The height of the center barrel portion 52 is slightly higher than the height of the upper barrel portion 51 and the lower barrel portion 53, but it can be of a similar level. The upper barrel portion 51, center barrel portion 52, and lower barrel portion 53 are formed with the same cross-sectional shape. However, the cross-sectional shapes of the upper barrel portion 51, the center barrel portion 52, and the lower barrel portion 53 may differ from one another so long as they are basically substantially rectangular. For example, the upper barrel portion 51, center barrel portion 52, and lower barrel portion 53 can be formed to have similar cross-sectional shapes, or a constriction could be formed in any of them.

In addition to the above-described concave ribs 11 and 12, the barrel portion 4 may have concave ribs 13 and 14 above and below indentations 56 and 57, respectively. These concave ribs 11-14 are trapezoidal in longitudinal section and continuous in the circumferential direction, thereby increasing the transverse strength of the bottle 1. The transverse strength of the bottle 1 is further increased by an annular channel 15 that is continuous circumferentially between the concave rib 12 and the concave rib 14. Here, the area between the concave rib 11 and the concave rib 13 is the upper barrel portion 51, the area between the concave rib 13 and the concave rib 14 is the center barrel portion 52, and the area between the concave rib 14 and the concave rib 12 is the lower barrel portion 53.

The upper barrel portion 51 may have depressurization absorption panel portions 71 on the front and rear walls 41 and 42. The upper barrel portion 51 has three channels 72 up and down on the left and right side walls 43 and 44. Similarly, the center barrel portion 52 has four channels 73 up and down on the left and right side walls 43 and 44. The channels 72 and 73 are semicircular in longitudinal section, and increase the transverse strength of the upper barrel portion 51 and the center barrel portion 52. The channels 72 and 73 respectively extend past the left and right side walls 43 and 44 up to the corner walls 45, 45, but both ends of the channels 72 and 73 are positioned between the corner portions 46a and the corner portions 46b.

The indentations 56 and 57 can permit insertion and accommodation of a person's fingertip, and also have a depth, height, and width capable of engaging an inserted fingertip. The indentations 56 and 57 are close to the center of gravity G in height level; more precisely, they are slightly below the center of gravity G. Two indentations 56 and 57 are formed on each of the front and rear walls 41 and 42, for a total of four.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, an indentation 56 and an indentation 57 are formed at the left and right of the front wall 41, separated by the column portion 58. Similarly, an indentation 56 and an indentation 57 are also formed on the rear wall 42, separated by the column portion 58. The front and rear indentations 56, 56 face one another, as do the front and rear indentations 57, 57. The column portion 58 is in a center position in the left-right direction, with an upper portion which is long and narrow and a lower portion which is triangular in plan view (see FIG. 1). The longitudinal strength of the center barrel portion 52 is increased by the column portion 58.

The indentations 56 and 57 may be constituted by different shapes, but here they have the same shape. The indentations 56 and 57 respectively have a bottom wall 91 and a perimeter wall 92 which rises from the perimeter of the bottom wall 91. The bottom wall 91 comprises a flat surface parallel to the center axis Y-Y. The perimeter wall 92 comprises a side wall 94 on the column portion 58 side, a side wall 95 facing the side wall 94, an upper side wall 96, and a lower side wall 97. As noted above, the barrel portion 4 is left-right and front-rear symmetrical, therefore the explanation below focuses in some cases on one of the indentations 56 and 57.

The side wall 94 has a more gradual slope (angle of inclination) from the bottom wall 91 than does the side wall 95. A fingertip can therefore be more easily inserted using the comparatively gradual side wall 94, and a rib effect can be achieved using the comparatively steep side wall 95. The upper part of the side wall 94 extends in parallel to the center axis Y-Y, and the lower portion [thereof] is inclined downward toward the side wall 95. By so doing, aligning an inserted index finger with the side wall 95 results in the tip of the index finger being inclined toward the center axis Y-Y side. Therefore fitting of the index finger in the indentation 56 is stabilized when the bottle 1 is tilted in order to pour a drink, making the drink easy to pour.

The side wall 95 extends parallel to the center axis Y-Y. The side wall 95 has a peak portion 98, which is furthest from the bottom wall 91. The peak portion 98 extends in parallel to the center axis Y-Y along the corner portion 46b. A finger is frequently engaged on the side wall 95 when the bottle 1 is tilted to pour a drink. Therefore strength is required of the side wall 95. On this point, the peak portion 98 is positioned on the corner portion 46b, which has a higher strength than the side portions in a substantially square cross-sectional shape; therefore the strength of the side wall 95 is increased.

A side wall 96 connects the upper portion between the side wall 94 and the side wall 95. The side wall 96 is curved so as to swell upward. This configuration makes it easy for a fingertip to fit into the curved surface of the side wall 96 when a fingertip contacts the side wall 96. At the same time, a side wall 97 connects the lower portion between the side wall 94 and the side wall 95. The side wall 97 curves downwardly with a curvature radius which is smaller than that of the side wall 96. The side wall 97 is preferably formed with a size and curvature radius such that the first joint on the index finger fits therein. This results in the index finger being fixed on the side wall 97, thereby stabilizing the inclined position of the bottle 1 when pouring.

As explained above, the bottle 1 of the present embodiment allows a person to easily accommodate and engage a finger in at least one of a pair of indentations 56 and 57. For example, a person with a normal size hand could use the front and rear indentations close to the palm of the hand, for example 56, 56, whereas a person with a large hand could use the front and rear indentations 57, 57 which are far from the palm of the hand. By adopting this type of universal design, a bottle 1 can be grasped in one hand from either the left or the right without regard to the size of the hand.

In particular, a person can easily engage his or her finger on the indentation 56 or 57 close to the center of gravity G, allowing the bottle 1 to be stably grasped and permitting improvements in ease of holding with one hand, ease of gripping, and ease of pouring. In addition, the indentations 56 and 57 are only slightly below the center of gravity G, therefore ease of pouring of the liquid after the volume has decreased can also be assured. Also, the presence of the column portion 58 between the pair of indentations 56 and 57 allows the longitudinal strength of the barrel portion 4 to be assured. A favorable improvement in strength can also be achieved as described above with respect to the side wall 95, on which fingers are frequently engaged.

Referring to FIGS. 5 through 10, a second embodiment of the bottle is described. The differences with respect to the first embodiment are the addition of constricted portions 54 and 55. The same reference numerals are used for parts of the second embodiment that are the same as in the first embodiment, and a detailed explanation thereof is accordingly omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in addition to a center of gravity G, indentations 56 and 57, and a column portion 58, the center barrel portion 52 includes constricted portions 54 and 55. The constricted portions 54 and 55 are formed over the entire area of the height of the center barrel portion 52. The constricted portions 54 and 55 are at approximately the same height level as the indentations 56 and 57, but extend in the up and down directions beyond the upper and lower ends of the indentations 56 and 57. The transverse strength of the center barrel portion 52 is increased by the upper rib 76 on the indentations 56 and 57. However, the concave rib 76 is non-continuous in the circumferential direction. The concave rib 75 below the indentations 56 and 57 is positioned on the lower barrel portion 53.

The upper barrel portion 51 and the lower barrel portion 53 are formed to have the same substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape (see FIGS. 5 and 8). At the same time, the cross-sectional shape of the center barrel portion 52 is smaller than the cross-sectional shape of the upper barrel portion 51 and the lower barrel portion 53 due to the effect of the constricted portions 54 and 55. However, the cross-sectional shapes of the upper barrel portion 51, the center barrel portion 52, and the lower barrel portion 53 are, as noted above, basically rectangular (precisely speaking, octagonal).

As shown in FIG. 9(A), the constricted portion 54 is formed on the left side wall 43 and the constricted portion 55 is formed on the right side wall 44. The constricted portion 54 passes the left side wall 43 to the corner walls 45 and 45 connected to the two ends of the left side wall 43. Similarly, the constricted portion 55 passes the right side wall 44 to the corner walls 45 and 45 connected to the two ends of the left side wall 44. The constricted portions 54 and 55 curve so as to be inwardly indented more than the upper barrel portion 51 and the lower barrel portion 53 when the barrel portion 4 is viewed from the front and back sides (“front view” below). Put another way, in the front view the constricted portions 54 and 55 have the most constricted shape at the vertical mid-portion compared to other locations.

The constricted portions 54 and 55 have a channel 81 in the most constricted portion thereof; the outer diameter thereof increases in stepped fashion moving downward and upward. Forming the constricted portions 54 and 55 in stepped shapes in the vertical direction in this way gives a rib effect to the constricted portions 54 and 55, thus enabling their strength to be increased. As noted above, the barrel portion 4 has left-right and front-back symmetry, therefore only one of the constricted portions 54 and 55 may be described here.

A shown in FIG. 9(A), both ends 83, 83 at the front and rear of the constricted portions 54 and 55 reach the extension lines of the corner portions 46b. Both ends of the channel 81 are therefore not closed, but open directly into the front and rear indentations 56, 56 or the front and rear indentations 57, 57. Also, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the two ends 83, 83 of the constricted portion 54 are inwardly concavely curved more than the upper barrel portion 51 and the lower barrel portion 53 when the barrel portion 4 is viewed from the left side. The depth at the constricted portion 54 position is therefore shortened.

As shown in FIG. 10, the cross-sectional shape of the bottom face 75a of the concave rib 75 is dissimilar to the cross-sectional shape in the portion 100 where there is no concave rib 75. Specifically, in the cross-sectional shape of the portion 100, the rounding radii of the corner portions 46a and 46b are, as noted above, respectively 10 mm (R10). In contrast, in the cross-sectional shape of the bottom face 75a, two each of the locations corresponding to the corner portions 46a and 46b are respectively rounded, with a radius of 10 mm (R10). Since the cross-sectional shape of the two is not therefore simply offset, the reinforcing effect yielded by the concave rib 75 can be increased. The reinforcing effect of the aforementioned concave ribs 11 and 12 is similarly also improved.

As explained above, the bottle 1 of the present embodiment enables the ease of holding a bottle 1 in one hand to be improved in a manner similar to the first embodiment. Particularly advantageous is the fact that the constricted portion 54 allows the distance from the left side wall 43 to the indentation 56 to be shortened, and that the constricted portion 55 allows the distance from the left side wall 44 to the indentation 57 to be shortened. Therefore even without opening one's hand greatly, a finger can be fit into the indentations 56 and 57 near the center of gravity G to grip the bottle 1. Thus ease of holding with one hand is greatly improved.

Referring to FIGS. 11 through 14, another bottle 110 is described. The differences with respect to the second embodiment are constricted portions and indentations. As shown in FIGS. 11 through 13, a barrel portion 140 is between a shoulder portion 130 and a bottom portion 150, and has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape. An upper barrel portion 151 is an area sandwiched by two concave ribs 201 and 202, and a lower barrel portion 153 is an area sandwiched by two concave ribs 203 and 204. A middle barrel portion 152 is between an upper barrel portion 151 and a lower barrel portion 153, and has a center of gravity G, constricted portions 154 and 155, and indentations 156 and 157.

Constricted portions 154 and 155 may be respectively formed in the left and right side walls 143 and 144. In front view, the constricted portions 154 and 155 have a profile of which includes a woven pattern including approximately bow-shaped forms, and curve inward more than the upper barrel portion 151 and the lower barrel portion 153. The most constricted portion of the constricted portions 154 and 155 is positioned, for example, approximately 5 mm more toward the inside than the upper barrel portion 151 and the lower barrel portion 153. The constricted portions 154 and 155 are such that the two ends 183, 183 in the front and back reach the extended line of the corner portion 146b, but do not reach the indentations 156 and 157. Three rows of concave channels 190 are formed up and down on the constricted portions 154 and 155, and a rib effect can be imparted to the constricted portions 154 and 155 using the concave channels 190.

As shown in FIG. 14, the indentations 156 and 157 may be respectively formed on the left and right of the front wall 141 and the rear wall 142, separated by the column portion 177. The indentations 156 and 157 are positioned close to the center of gravity G, and are formed in such a way that a person's inserted fingertip can be engaged. The height of the indentations 156 and 157 is approximately the same as the height of the constricted portions 154 and 155 (for example, 20 mm or greater). The depth of the indentations 156 and 157 is, for example, 6 mm or greater.

With this bottle 110, as with the above-described bottle 1, the distance from the left and right side walls 143 and 144 to the indentations 156 and 157 is shortened due to the constricted portions 154 and 155, therefore people can grip the bottle 110 using the indentations 156 or 157 close to the center of gravity G. Thus, improvements can be made in one handed ease of holding, ease of gripping, and ease of pouring. Unlike the bottles of the first and second embodiments, the indentations 156 and 157 do not have a wall with a peak portion extending along a corner portion of the substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A beverage container, comprising:

a barrel portion having a substantially square cross-sectional shape defined by a plurality of walls including at least a front wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall;

a pair of indentations formed in at least one of the front and rear walls for insertion of, and engagement with, a finger; and

a column portion separating the pair of indentations into left and right portions, wherein each of the pair of indentations has a bottom wall, a first side wall extending from the bottom wall to the column portion, and a second side wall extending from the bottom wall and facing the first side wall, the second side wall having a peak portion extending along a corner portion of the substantially square cross-sectional shape.

2. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the first side wall extends from the bottom wall at a more gradual angle than the second side wall.

3. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the first side wall has a portion sloped with respect to an up and down direction of the container such that a tip of the finger inserted into the indentation is inclined toward a center axis of the container.

4. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the indentation has a third side wall defining an upper portion connecting the first side wall and the second side wall, the third side wall being curved upwardly.

5. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the pair of indentations are formed in the front and rear walls facing at each other.

6. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls include corner walls between the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall, and the right wall;

wherein the peak portion formed in the front wall extends along a corner connecting the front wall and the corner wall; and

wherein the peak portion formed in the rear wall extends along a corner connecting the rear wall and the corner wall.

7. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the indentation is positioned close to the center of gravity of the beverage container when the beverage container is filled with a fluid.

8. The beverage container of claim 7, wherein the cross-sectional shape is a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape having a length of the front and rear walls longer than a length of the left and right side walls, and

wherein the barrel portion comprises: an upper barrel portion; a lower barrel portion and; a center barrel portion between the upper barrel portion and the lower barrel portion such that the center of gravity is located within the center barrel portion, the center barrel portion having the indentations and constricted portions on the left and right side walls, the constricted portions curving more inwardly than the upper barrel portion and the lower barrel portion when viewed from the front and rear sides,

9. The beverage container of claim 8, wherein the constricted portions are formed to span over the center barrel.

10. The beverage container of claim 1, further comprising:

a shoulder portion formed contiguously with a top end of the barrel portion;

a bottom portion formed contiguously with a bottom end of the barrel portion; and

a reinforcing concave rib portion formed on at least one of the shoulder portion, the barrel portion, and the bottom portion, wherein a cross-sectional shape at the concave rib is dissimilar to the substantially square cross-sectional shape.