Method of controlling vacuum and pressure within a thermoplastic container

A method of forming a container and filling the container with a product, the method comprising:

• heat-set blow molding the container from a preform;
• hot-filling the container with the product such that the product occupies about 95% or more of a total interior volume of the container, and a headspace volume is defined between a top fill line of the product and a brim of the container, the headspace volume is less than about 5% of the total interior volume of the container;
• capping the container and allowing the container to cool, the container configured to shrink during cooling such that the total interior volume decreases by about 0.5% to 1.5% during cooling;
• and
• displacing a base of the container after hot-filling and capping to reduce the total interior volume by less than about an additional 2%;
• wherein the hot-filling, capping, cooling, and displacing of the base creates a vacuum within the container at ambient external temperature and pressure.

A method of forming and filling a container with a product, the method comprising:

• heat-set blow molding the container from a preform;
• hot-filling the container with the product such that the product occupies about 95% or more of a total interior volume of the container, and a headspace volume is defined between a top fill line of the product and a brim of the container, the headspace volume is less than about 5% of the total interior volume of the container;
• capping the container and allowing the container to cool, the container configured to shrink during cooling such that the total interior volume decreases by about 0.5% to 1.5% during cooling;
• and
• displacing a base of the container after hot-filling and capping to reduce the total interior volume by about an additional 2%;
• wherein the hot-filling, capping, cooling, and displacing of the base creates neutral pressure within the container at ambient external temperature and pressure.

A method of forming and filling a container with a product, the method comprising:

• heat-set blow molding the container from a preform;
• hot-filling the container with the product such that the product occupies about 95% or more of a total interior volume of the container, and a headspace volume is defined between a top fill line of the product and a brim of the container, the headspace volume is less than about 5% of the total interior volume of the container;
• capping the container and allowing the container to cool, the container configured to shrink during cooling such that the total interior volume decreases by about 0.5% to 1.5% during cooling;
• and
• displacing a base of the container after hot-filling and capping to reduce the total interior volume by more than about an additional 2%;
• wherein the hot-filling, capping, cooling, and displacing of the base creates positive pressure within the container at ambient external temperature and pressure.

A polymeric container hot-filled with a product comprising:

• a finish, a shoulder, a body, and a displaceable base, which together define a total interior volume in which the product is stored, the product occupies about 95% or more of the total interior volume of the container, and a headspace volume is defined between a top fill line of the product and a brim of the finish, the headspace volume is less than about 5% of the total interior volume of the container;
• wherein the container is configured such that subsequent to hot-filling and cooling the polymeric container, and prior to displacing the displaceable base, the total interior volume shrinks about 0.5% to 1.5%;
• wherein the base is configured such that subsequent to displacing the displaceable base after hot-filling and cooling, the total interior volume decreases by about an additional 2% or less;
• and
• wherein the container is configured such that subsequent to the hot-filling, capping, cooling, and displacing of the displaceable base, zero to negative residual pressure is present within the polymeric container at ambient external temperature and pressure.

A polymeric container hot-filled with a product comprising:

• a finish, a shoulder, a body, and a displaceable base, which together define a total interior volume in which the product is stored, the product occupies about 95% or more of the total interior volume of the container, and a headspace volume is defined between a top fill line of the product and a brim of the finish, the headspace volume is less than about 5% of the total interior volume of the container;
• wherein the container is configured such that subsequent to hot-filling and cooling the polymeric container, and prior to displacing the base, the total interior volume shrinks about 0.5% to 1.5%;
• wherein the base is configured such that subsequent to displacing the base after hot-filling and cooling, the total interior volume decreases by more than an additional 2%;
• and
• wherein the container is configured such that subsequent to the hot-filling, capping, cooling, and displacing of the displaceable base, positive pressure is present within the polymeric container at ambient external temperature and pressure.