Container structure for removal of vacuum pressure
AssigneeCo2 Pac Limited
InventorDavid 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 (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).
Claims33
A container having 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, 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 being capable of folding from one longitudinally inclined position to an inverted position to compensate for a change of pressure induced within the container.
A container having a longitudinal axis, walls and a base, said container having at least one substantially transversely oriented vacuum panel portion located adjacent to said base, said vacuum panel portion being adapted in use to fold from a longitudinally inclined position to an inverted position to compensate for a change of pressure induced within the container following cooling of a liquid within the container after it has been capped, such that less force is exerted on the walls of said container.
A container having a longitudinal axis, a side wall and a base closing off one end, said container having a single substantially transversely oriented vacuum panel portion located within the base and joined to the side wall by a decoupling or hinge structure, said vacuum panel portion being adapted in use to fold from a longitudinally inclined position to an inverted position to compensate for a change of pressure induced within the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.