Container having broad shoulder and narrow waist

A method comprising the step of blow molding a plastic container having a longitudinal axis therethrough comprising:

• a neck portion having a longitudinal height and terminating at an opening;
• a substantially circular enclosed base opposite said neck adapted for maintaining said container in an upright position, wherein said base has a rounded, positive slope portion of an increasing circumferential dimension transitioning into a decreasing circumferential dimension portion having a negative slope along said longitudinal axis and further transitioning from a circular rounded portion at said base to generally flattened, longitudinal base panels with rounded, longitudinal base panel edges separating each of said flattened base panels from each other;
• a waist having a circumferential dimension less than said base and positioned between a body portion and said base;
• the body portion positioned between said waist and a circular shoulder and comprising flexible, substantially flat longitudinal body panels and rounded, longitudinal body panel edges separating adjacent body panels from each other and merging with said longitudinal panel edges of said base, said body edges increasing in width as said body longitudinally merges with the circular shoulder portion;
• and
• the circular shoulder portion having a rounded portion transitioning into and merging with said body panels, and a sloping portion of reducing diameter merging with said neck.

A method of accommodating an internal vacuum in a container comprising forming a container having:

• a neck portion having a longitudinal height and terminating at an opening;
• a substantially circular enclosed base opposite said neck adapted for maintaining said container in an upright position, wherein said base has a rounded, positive slope portion of an increasing circumferential dimension transitioning into a decreasing circumferential dimension portion having a negative slope along said longitudinal axis and further transitioning from a circular rounded portion at said base to generally flattened, longitudinal base panels with rounded, longitudinal panel edges separating each of said flattened base panels from each other;
• a waist having a circumferential dimension less than said base and positioned between a body portion and said base;
• the body portion positioned between said waist and a circular shoulder and comprising flexible, substantially flat longitudinal body panels and rounded, longitudinal body panel edges separating adjacent body panels from each other and merging with said longitudinal panel edges of said base, said body edges increasing in width as said body longitudinally merges with the circular shoulder portion;
• and
• the circular shoulder portion having a rounded portion transitioning into and merging with said body panels, and a sloping portion of reducing diameter merging with said neck
• wherein the longitudinal body panels are adapted to flex inwardly in response to the internal vacuum.