BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to bottles for packaging, storing,
transporting and distributing various liquids. More particularly, the
present invention relates to rectangular bottles constructed of plastic
and the like for containing motor oils and other related fluids.

Fluids such as motor oils have, until recently, primarily been packaged in
composite fiber (laminated) cylindrical containers closed on each end by a
metallic plate. As is evident from ever having used or been around such
containers, they suffer from many shortcomings including poor shelf life
and individual container integrity (seepage of oil through the composite
fiber), difficulty in opening and resealing once opened, and difficulty in
pouring the contents without unwanted spillage. Despite these
shortcomings, cylindrical composite fiber containers predominated in the
marketplace due to the lack of a viable and economical alternative.

More recently, however, cylindrical composite fiber containers are rapidly
being replaced by plastic bottles. The use of plastics such as, for
example, high density polyethylene, may improve the shelf life and
integrity of the individual bottles with comparable manufacturing and
packaging costs. Consumers today also tend to prefer a plastic bottle,
particularly for motor oils and the like, over the prior composite fiber
container.

Plastic motor oil bottles come in a wide variety of shapes and forms
including, but not limited to, cylindrical bottles closed on one or both
ends with a metallic plate, cylindrical bottles with centrally oriented
spouts, cylindrical bottles with offset spouts, rectangular bottles with
centrally oriented spouts and rectangular bottles with offset spouts.
Generally the bottles with spouts are also provided with screw cap or
other closure means for sealing and resealing the bottles once opened.

The cylindrical shape, though, has several practical disadvantages.
Cylindrical containers are not very space efficient, that is, there is a
significant amount of void space between individual containers when such
containers are packaged or otherwise placed side-by-side. This void space
can be significantly reduced by the use of a rectangular container.
Rectangular containers are also easier to grip and hold in most cases than
their cylindrical counterparts.

The plastic rectangular motor oil bottles presently in use, however, suffer
form many shortcomings. First and foremost, the great majority of
rectangular bottles, particularly the one quart capacity bottles, cannot
be effeciently stacked and sh
pped on a standard 40 in.×48 in. GMA
(Grocery Manufacturers Association) pallet. This pallet size is the
standard of the grocery industry by which most warehouses, shipping trucks
and rail cars are constructed. By utilizing non-standard sized pallets,
maximum space utilization for storage and shipping cannot be achieved.

While not designed for the standard pallet, these plastic rectangular
bottles may still be stacked on the standard pallets, but the cases in
which the bottles are packaged will overhang past the edge of the pallet.
By overhanging the cases and, therefore, the bottles, the potential for
container damage and breakage is greatly increased. Further, the overhang
enlarges the space requirement for the pallet and, therefore, the purpose
and advantages of using the standard pallet are defeated. These
rectangular bottles can also be stacked without the overhang, but then a
significant portion of the pallet surface will not be utilized.

Other disadvantages of many of the rectangular motor oil bottles currently
in use include pouring difficulties (premature spillage from content
surge, "glug" from poor venting), poor warehouse and shelf life, poor
stackability (container integrity, top-load strength) and low shelf-space
utilization.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a
rectangular motor oil bottle designed to be made of plastic and stacked
and shipped on a standard 40 in.×48 in. GMA pallet.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rectangular
motor oil bottle which has comparible or improved warehouse and shelf life
and container integrity (top-load strength) as compared with present
rectangular motor oil bottles.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a
rectangular motor oil bottle with a high shelf-space utilization.

It is finally another object of the present invention to provide a
rectangular motor oil bottle which improves pourability of the contents
from the bottle by lessening the chances for unwanted spillage and
reducing content surge from "glug."

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a rectangular
bottle having an offset spout for use as a container for motor oil and
other related liquids. The rectangular bottle of the present invention, in
its overall concept, comprises a hollow body including a front wall, back
wall, right side wall, left side wall and bottom; a tubular spout through
which the bottle may be filled and emptied, the spout being centrally
oriented between the front and back wall and offset from the left side
wall toward the right side wall; and a tapered section interposed between
and connecting the body section and the spout, whereby the front wall,
back wall, right side wall and left side wall slope toward and merge into
the spout.

More preferably, the rectangular bottle of the present invention has an
exterior length to width ratio of between about 1:0.5 to about 1:0.6, the
centerline of the tubular spout is offset from the left side wall toward
the right side wall between about 75% to about 80% of the length of the
bottle, and the front wall slopes at an angle of between about 60°
to about 70°, the back wall slopes at a supplementary angle of
between about 120° to about 110°, the right side wall slopes
at an angle of between about 100° to about 110°, and the
left side wall slopes at an angle of about 25°, from the horizontal
toward the spout.

The rectangular bottle of the present invention overcomes many of the
shortcomings of the prior art by providing a plastic bottle for motor oil
and the like fluids which has a high shelf-space utilization, good
container integrity, shelf and warehouse life, equal or better topload
strength than current plastic rectangular bottles, and further minimizes
or eliminates "glug" and premature spillage problems. Most importantly,
however, the rectangular bottle of the present invention is designed to be
stacked and shipped on a standard 40 in.×48 in. GMA pallet, the
design standard of the grocery industry.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be
more readily understood by those skilled in the art from a reading of the
following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawing