Dual bottle container

• US 5,316,159 A
• Filed: 07/20/1992
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Plastic Processing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Plastic Processing Corporation
• Inventors: Douglas, Jerry A., Schmidt, Godfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Weaver, Sue A.
• Application Number:
  US07/916,532
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 215/10, 215/6, 220/23.4, 220/23.83, 206/504, 206/432, 222/142.9, 222/143
• US Class Current: 215/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0204 and joined together by interconnecting formations forming part of the container, e.g. dove-tail, snap connections, hook elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0838 located at an edge of the base element
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3288 composed of two or more separate containers joined to each other

Abstract

A dual bottle container has two bottles which are releasably interlocked together in side-by-side relation by a plateau on one of the bottles which engages a depression on the other bottle for transverse sliding movement. The plateau is bordered at opposite sides by rounded lip portions and the depression is bordered at opposite sides by rounded groove portions, the lip portions and the groove portions engaging each other to prevent undesired relative movement between the two bottles.

Claims

1. A dual bottle container comprising:

first and second bottles each having a generally planar wall portion extending from a front surface to a back surface of said bottle, and a longitudinal axis extending heightwise of the bottle;

the generally planar wall portion of the first bottle having a raised portion forming a substantially flat plateau extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bottle and bordered on opposite sides by rounded lip portions;

the generally planar wall portion of the second bottle having a recessed portion forming a substantially flat depression extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bottle and bordered on opposite sides by rounded groove portions;

at least one of the rounded lip portions or the rounded groove portions being tapered at opposite ends to form a peak;

the plateau being receivable within the depression in a sliding relationship to engage the rounded lip portions of the first bottle with the rounded groove portions of the second bottle as the two bottles are moved to a predetermined engaged position in which said generally planar wall portions are in close face-to-face relation.

2. The dual bottle container of claim 1 wherein:

the rounded lip portions of the plateau engage the rounded groove portions of the depression to prevent relative movement of the bottles transverse to the direction of sliding movement.

3. The dual bottle container of claim 2 wherein:

the rounded groove portions are undercut into the generally planar wall portion of the second bottle.

4. The dual bottle container of claim 2 wherein:

the rounded lip portions are tapered in a plane parallel to the generally planar wall portion of the first bottle to engage the rounded groove portions of the second bottle along only a portion of the length of said groove portions when the bottles are in said predetermined joined position.

5. The dual bottle container of claim 4 wherein:

each of the rounded lip portions is tapered at opposite ends to form a peak directed outwardly from said substantially flat plateau.

6. The dual bottle container of claim 2 wherein:

the rounded groove portions are tapered in a plane parallel to the generally planar side wall of the second bottle to engage the rounded lip portions of the first bottle along only a portion of the length of said lip portions when the bottles are in said predetermined joined position.

7. The dual bottle container of claim 6 wherein:

each of the rounded groove portions is tapered at opposite ends to form a peak directed inwardly toward said substantially flat depression.

8. The dual bottle container of claim 2 wherein:

the rounded groove portions of the second bottle have radiused outer ends to facilitate sliding movement of the bottles to said predetermined joined position.

9. The dual bottle container of claim 8 wherein:

the rounded lip portions of the first bottle have radiused outer ends to facilitate sliding movement of the bottles to said predetermined joined position.

10. The dual bottle container of claim 9 wherein:

the outer ends of the rounded groove portions are curved to a larger radius than the outer ends of the rounded lip portions.

11. The dual bottle container of claim 1 wherein:

the first and second bottles have substantially arcuate outside walls including said front and back surfaces, said substantially arcuate outside walls combining to form a substantially smooth, uninterrupted outside surface of the container when the two bottles are joined in said predetermined joined position.

12. The dual bottle container of claim 1 wherein:

said plateau and said depression cover approximately one-half of the surface area of said planar wall portions.

13. A dual bottle container comprising:

first and second bottles each having a top wall, a bottom wall, an outside wall, a generally planar side wall and a longitudinal axis extending heightwise of the bottle;

the generally planar side wall of the first bottle having a raised portion forming a substantially flat plateau extending transversely with respect tot he longitudinal axis of the bottle and bordered at upper and lower ends thereof by rounded lip portions;

the generally planar side wall of the second bottle having a recessed portion forming a substantially flat depression extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bottle and bordered at upper and lower ends thereof by rounded groove portions;

at least one of the rounded lip portions or the rounded groove portions being tapered at opposite ends to form a peak;

the plateau being receivable within the depression in a sliding relationship generally transversely to the longitudinal axes of the bottles to engage the rounded lip portions with the rounded groove portions as the bottles are moved to a predetermined joined position in which the bottles are side-by-side and said generally planar side walls are in close face-to-face relation.

14. The dual bottle container of claim 13 wherein:

the rounded lip portions of the plateau engage the rounded groove portions of the depression to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the bottles.

15. The dual bottle container of claim 14 wherein:

the rounded groove portions are undercut into the generally planar side wall of the second bottle.

16. The dual bottle container of claim 14 wherein:

the rounded lip portions are tapered in a plane parallel to the generally planar side wall of the first bottle to engage the rounded groove portions of the second bottle along only a portion of the length of said groove portions when the bottles are in said predetermined joined position.

17. The dual bottle container of claim 16 wherein:

each of the rounded lip portions is tapered at opposite ends to form a peak directed outwardly from said substantially flat plateau.

18. The dual bottle container of claim 14 wherein:

the rounded groove portions are tapered in a plane parallel to the generally planar side wall of the second bottle to engage the rounded lip portions of the first bottle along only a portion of the length of said lip portions when the bottles are in said predetermined joined position.

19. The dual bottle container of claim 18 wherein:

each of the rounded groove portions is tapered at opposite ends to form a peak directed inwardly toward said substantially flat depression.

20. The dual bottle container of claim 14 wherein:

the rounded groove portions of the second bottle have radiused outer ends to facilitate sliding movement of the bottles to said predetermined joined position.

21. The dual bottle container of claim 20 wherein:

the rounded lip portions of the first bottle have radiused outer ends to facilitate sliding movement of the bottles to said predetermined joined position.

22. The dual bottle container of claim 21 wherein:

the outer ends of the rounded groove portions are curved to a larger radius than the outer ends of the rounded lip portions.

23. The dual bottle container of claim 13 which further comprises:

detent structures on said generally planar side walls of the first and second bottles to releasably hold said bottles in said predetermined joined position against transverse movement relative to one another.

24. The dual bottle container of claim 23 wherein:

said detent structures comprise at least one rib extending longitudinally of the generally planar side wall of one of the bottles, and at least one indentation extending longitudinally of the generally planar side wall of the other of the bottles, said rib being receivable in the indentation to releasably hold the two bottles against movement relative to one another in the transverse direction.

25. The dual bottle container of claim 24 herein:

the generally planar side walls of the bottles are generally abutting when said rib is received in said indentation.

26. The dual bottle container of claim 13 wherein:

the first and second bottles have substantially arcuate outside walls which combine to form a substantially smooth, uninterrupted outside surface of the container when the two bottles are joined in said predetermined joined position.

27. The dual bottle container of claim 13 wherein:

each bottle has a neck extending substantially up from its top wall and defines a mouth of the bottle;

28. The dual bottle container of claim 27 which further comprises:

caps engageable with the necks of the respective bottles for closing said mouths.