Container structure for removal of vacuum pressure
AssigneeCo2 Pac Limited
InventorDavid Murray Melrose
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hot-fill PET container or bottle (10) filling with a liquid at an elevated temperature has a side wall (9) extending to a lower portion including a pressure panel (11) and a base (21) in its unfolded or pre-fill position. The panel (11) is transversely oriented and has a decoupling or hinge structure or element (13), an initiator portion (1) and control portion (5) of a steeply angled inverting conical section between 30 and 45 degrees. The control portion enables the inversion of the panel (11) into the container (10) to compensate for vacuum or reduced pressure induced within the container as the liquid cools down. The base (2) can also have a plurality of reinforcing ribs (3).
Claims15
A container comprising a longitudinal axis, an upper portion having an opening into said container, a body portion extending from said upper portion to a lower portion, said lower portion including a base having a standing ring or surface, said base closing off an end of said container, said container having at least one substantially transversely oriented pressure panel portion located in said lower portion, said pressure panel portion including first and second portions, wherein the second portion has a more steep or acute angle than the first portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the container, said pressure panel portion being capable of folding from one longitudinally inclined position to a second longitudinally inclined position to compensate for a change of pressure induced within the container following cooling of a heated liquid within said container after it has been capped, wherein the second position is closer to the opening into said container than the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.