Hot fill container with reconfigurable convex volume control panel
AssigneeSewell Plastics, Inc.
InventorsAlfred C. Alberghini, David A. Brunson, Stephen R. Lynn
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Abstract
A blow-molded and tempered PET container specially adapted for hot filling includes a plurality of panels situated in circumferentially spaced locations around the periphery of the container, the panels bulging outwardly with respect to the body portion immediately contiguous thereto. The panels are mechanically reconfigurable to an inwardly collapsed position with respect to the immediately contiguous body portion for providing controlled volumetric reduction of the container to compensate for the development of a partial vacuum within the container.
Claims4
A method of filling a thermoplastic container with a hot fluid comprising the steps of:
- providing a container made of thermoplastic material having a neck portion, a body portion, and a bottom portion, the body including a plurality of panels situated in circumferentially spaced locations around the periphery of the container, the panels bulging outwardly with respect to the body portion immediately contiguous thereto,
- filling the container with a fluid having a temperature greater than about 50.degree. C. and capping the container before a 5% drop in temperature of the fluid occurs, and
- contacting the plurality of panels while cooling the container and contents such that the panels are reconfigured to an inwardly collapsed position with respect to the body portion immediately contiguous thereto for providing controlled volumetric reduction of the container to compensate for the development of a partial vacuum within the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.