Pressure Container With Differential Vacuum Panels
First Claim
1. A plastic container having a body portion with a generally curvilinear sidewall, a base, and a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a first sidewall portion having a first controlled deflection flex panel with a first amount of outward curvature and a first degree of ability to react to pressure changes within the container; and
a second sidewall portion having a second controlled deflection flex panel with a second amount of outward curvature and a second degree of ability to react to pressure changes within the container;
wherein said first amount is different from said second amount, and said first degree is different from said second degree.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved blow molded plastic container having generally rounded sidewalls that are adapted for hot-fill applications has two adjacent sides and two pairs of controlled deflection panels, each pair reacting to vacuum pressure at differing rates of movement, whereby one pair inverts under vacuum pressure and the other pair remains available for increased squeezability or extreme vacuum extraction. The opposing sidewalls are symmetric relative to vacuum panel and rib shape and placement. The ribs and controlled deflection panels cooperate to retain container shape upon filling and cooling and also improves bumper denting resistance, decreases vacuum pressure within the container, and increases light weight capability.
113 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A plastic container having a body portion with a generally curvilinear sidewall, a base, and a longitudinal axis, comprising:
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a first sidewall portion having a first controlled deflection flex panel with a first amount of outward curvature and a first degree of ability to react to pressure changes within the container; and a second sidewall portion having a second controlled deflection flex panel with a second amount of outward curvature and a second degree of ability to react to pressure changes within the container; wherein said first amount is different from said second amount, and said first degree is different from said second degree. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A plastic container having a body portion with a sidewall and a base, said body portion including a first pair of opposite sidewall portions and a second pair of opposite sidewall portions, each sidewall portion of said first pair having a respective first controlled deflection flex panel and each sidewall portion of said second pair having a respective second controlled deflection flex panel, said first controlled deflection flex panels having a different outward curvature than said second controlled deflection flex panels thereby to be more reactive to pressure changes within the container than said second controlled deflection flex panels.
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28. A container comprising a plastic body having a neck portion defining an opening, connected to a shoulder portion extending downward and connecting to a sidewall extending downward and joining a bottom portion forming a base,
said sidewall including four panels and including vertical transitional walls disposed between and joining said panels, and wherein said body is adapted to increase volume contraction and reduce pressure, and said panels are adapted to contract inwardly in response to internal negative pressure due to packaging or subsequent handling and storage.
Specification