Bottle

Abstract

A bottle (1) is described, intended for water, comprising a neck section (3), a shoulder section (4), a body section (5), and a bottom section (8) with a kick (9); wherein the neck (3), the shoulder (4) and the body (5) are made of a transparent and colourless material; and wherein the kick (9) is coloured.

Description

The invention relates to a bottle, intended for colourless drinks, more in particular water, either being mineral water or not.

It is usual nowadays that mineral water is packed in transparent bottles, with a content varying from approximately 0.20 l to approximately 1.5 l, which bottles can be made from glass or a synthetic material (PET), and wherein the material of the bottles is colourless or evenly coloured, for example green or blue. Bottles like that satisfy for normal domestic use. Also in catering establishments the use of bottles like that satisfies, though a drawback is that the customer to whom water is presented in this way experiences this water only as “common” or even “dead”. The water merely has the function of thirst-quencher, and offers no further added value or added sensation.

However, particularly for use in the so-called “Out Of Home” market (more in particular catering establishments), there is a need for bottles which give an added value to the water, so that the presentation of water in a bottle like that for the user involves a special perception.

To meet this need, the present invention aims to provide a bottle which is constructed such that an observer gets the visual impression that water in that bottle has a colour. The water, which can be mineral water, either being a fizzy soft drink or not, is colourless in itself, so that on pouring out it appears that the water has no colour, but as long as the water is in the bottle it has a colour impression. In itself this is already a surprising effect, which draws the attention and has an esthetical effect. Furthermore, when bottles are provided for mutually different colour impressions, customers are offered the opportunity to select a water that matches, colour-wise, a certain occasion, a certain mood, a certain personal character, certain clothes, etc.

Coloured bottles already exist, for example green bottles. With bottles like these, however, one doesn't get the impression that the liquid in the bottle has the colour green, one simply gets the impression of a green bottle with a liquid; this is not the effect the present invention aims to achieve.

To reach the intended result, a bottle according to the present invention has an essentially colourless outer wall and a coloured kick.

In a first implementation, in which neck section, shoulder section and body section of the bottle are made of a transparent and colourless material, this is reached because the kick is made of coloured material.

In an alternative implementation, in which neck section, shoulder section and body section of the bottle are made of a transparent and colourless material, this is reached because the kick is provided with a coloured surface layer or coating. This offers the advantage that the kick can also simply be made of colourless material. Then, the best effect is reached if the coating is applied to the inner surface of the kick.

These and other aspect, characteristics, and advantages of the present invention will be further clarified by the following description with reference to the drawings, in which the single FIGURE schematically shows a longitudinal section of a bottle 1 displayed in an upright position. The bottle 1 is essentially rotation-symmetrical in relation to a vertical axis 2, i.e. in top view the bottle has a circular contour. In side view, three parts of the bottle can be distinguished: at the upper side a neck 3 with a relatively small diameter, at the lower side a body 5 with a relatively large diameter, and in between a transition area or shoulder 4. The bottle displayed has an elegant, slim shape with a relatively long neck and relatively high shoulder, but different proportions are also possible.

The interior of the bottle 1 is indicated with 6. The neck 3 is open at the upper end, so that de bottle 1 has a mouth 7 for filling of and pouring out from the bottle. The mouth 7 can be closed, for example by a crown cap, a screw cap, a cork, etc, but this is not shown for the sake of the simplicity.

At the lower end, the bottle has a bottom 8. Normally, water bottles have a flat bottom, but the bottle according to the present invention distinguishes itself because the bottom 8 has an (for example clock-shaped) increment 9, that is indicated as “kick”. In a preferred embodiment, the kick 9 has a height of approximately 5 cm, while the entire bottle has a total height of approximately 33 cm, though these measures are not critical. For the intended effect, it is preferable, though, that the kick 9 has a height of minimal 0.5 cm, more preferably minimal 1 cm.

The neck 3, the shoulder 4 and the body 5 are made of a transparent and colourless material, for example a synthetic material, but preferably glass or crystal due to the higher quality appearance. The bottom 8 and the kick 9 are made from the same material, i.e. synthetic material, glass, crystal, but the kick 9 has colour. The remaining part of the bottom 8 may also be coloured just as the kick 9, but may also be colourless. The kick 9 does not need to be transparent, though a certain degree of transparency offers an esthetically beautiful effect when the bottle is held against the light.

In a possible embodiment, the kick 9 is made from a colourless material, just as the body 5, and the kick 9 is provided with a coloured surface layer or coating. In such case, such coating is preferably applied to the inner surface of the kick 5, i.e. the surface directed towards the interior 6.

In another possible embodiment, the material of the kick 9 itself is coloured. Then too, if desired, a coating can still be applied. It is noted that it is known perse to manufacture glass objects or crystal objects with multiple colours, wherein the colouring agents are mixed with the glass and the crystal, respectively.

When the bottle 1 is being filled with a colourless liquid such as water, by refraction of light the optical effect is reached that the colour of the kick is visible in the liquid, wherein it is important that the body 5 and the shoulder 4 are colourless, so that the optical effect is not disturbed.

It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments discussed in the above, but that several variations and modifications are possible within the protective scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims.

Although the bottle according to the present invention is primarily meant for a colourless liquid such as water, it is also possible to fill the bottle with a liquid that already has a colour by itself. In that case, a colour impression differing from the original liquid colour results.

Claims

1. Bottle comprising:

a neck section,

a shoulder section,

a body section, and

a bottom section with a kick;

wherein the neck, the shoulder and the body are made of a transparent and colourless material; and

wherein the kick is made of coloured material.

2. Bottle comprising:

a neck section, a shoulder section, a body-section, and a bottom section with a kick;

wherein the neck, the shoulder and the body are made of a transparent and colourless material; and

wherein the kick is provided with a coloured surface layer or coating.

3. Bottle according to claim 2, wherein the kick is made of colourless material.

4. Bottle according to claim 3, wherein the coating is applied to the inner surface of the kick.

5. Bottle according to claim 1, wherein the kick is partially transparent.

6. Bottle according to claim 1, wherein a part of the bottom outside the kick is colourless.

7. Bottle according to claim 1, wherein the bottle is made of synthetic material, glass, or crystal.

8. Bottle according to claim 1, wherein the kick has a height of at least approximately 0.5 cm.

9. Bottle according to claim 1, wherein the bottle is substantially rotation-symmetrical in relation to a vertical axis.

10. Bottle according to claim 1, wherein a part of the bottom outside the kick is coloured.

11. Bottle according to claim 1, wherein the kick has a height of at least approximately 1 cm.

12. Bottle according to claim 2, wherein the kick is partially transparent.

13. Bottle according to claim 2, wherein a part of the bottom outside the kick is colourless.

14. Bottle according to claim 2, wherein the bottle is made of synthetic material, glass, or crystal.

15. Bottle according to claim 2, wherein the kick has a height of at least approximately 0.5 cm.

16. Bottle according to claim 2, wherein the bottle is substantially rotation-symmetrical in relation to a vertical axis.

17. Bottle according to claim 2, wherein a part of the bottom outside the kick is coloured.

18. Bottle according to claim 2, wherein the kick has a height of at least approximately 1 cm.