Blow molded bottle with unframed flex panels
AssigneeGraham Packaging Company, L.P.
InventorsDavid M. Melrose, Richard K. Ogg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hot-fillable, slender, blow-molded plastic bottle for use in containing hot-filled beverages. The bottle has a sidewall with various interactive zones of function. For example, some of the zones are primarily responsible for accommodating vacuum absorption, while other zones are primarily intended to rigidify the container such as by providing post strength to improve container top loading capability. Although each zone may have a primary function, each zone also aids adjacent zones in providing their functions. Thus, the entire sidewall, and not merely selected locations, reacts to the forces generated by the hot-fill process on the container.
Claims20
A blow-molded plastic bottle (10, 110, 210) having a dome (12, 112, 212) with an upstanding finish (18, 118, 218), a base (14, 114, 214), and a substantially tubular sidewall (16, 116, 216) between the base (14, 114, 214) and the dome (12,112, 212), said sidewall (16, 116, 216) comprising:
- an alternating pattern of a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vertically-elongate columns (24, 124, 224) and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced substantially smooth-surfaced panels (22, 122, 222);
- each of said columns (24, 124, 224), as formed, being outwardly convex in horizontal cross section and each of said panels (22, 122, 222), as formed, being inwardly concave in horizontal cross section with each of said panels (22, 122, 222) extending laterally between and connecting directly to an adjacent pair of said columns (24, 124, 224);
- and
- each of said columns (24, 124, 224), as formed, being outwardly convex in vertical cross section and each of said panels (22, 122, 222), as formed, being inwardly concave in vertical cross section with each of said columns (24, 124, 224) and panels (22, 122, 222) having opposite ends merging directly into adjacent portions of the bottle (10, 110, 210).
A slender blow-molded plastic bottle (10, 110, 210) comprising:
- an upper portion with a dome (12, 112, 212) having an upstanding finish (18, 118, 218) capable of being sealed with a closure;
- a lower portion having a base (14, 114, 214);
- and
- a generally tubular intermediate sidewall portion (16, 116, 216) between said upper and lower portions, said sidewall portion (16, 116, 216) being formed with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vertically-elongate columns (24, 124, 224) in an alternating pattern with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced substantially smooth-surfaced panels (22, 122, 222);
- each of said columns (24, 124, 224), as formed, being outwardly convex in horizontal cross section and each of said panels (22, 122, 222), as formed, being inwardly concave in horizontal cross section such that each of said panels (22, 122, 222) extends laterally between and connects directly to an adjacent pair of said columns (24, 124, 224);
- each of said columns (24, 124, 224), as formed, being outwardly convex in vertical cross section and each of said panels (22, 122, 222), as formed, being inwardly concave in vertical cross section such that each of said columns (24, 124, 224) and panels (22, 122, 222) has opposite ends which merge directly into adjacent portions of the bottle (10, 110, 210);
- each of said panels (22, 122, 222) flexing outwardly to expand the volume of the bottle (10, 110, 210) during hot-filling and each of said panels (22, 122, 222) flexing inwardly in response to a reduction in internal volume after the bottle (10, 110, 210) is capped and permitted to cool;
- and
- said inward deflection of said panels (22, 122, 222) functioning to increase the horizontal cross-sectional convexity of each of said columns (24, 124, 224) and of decreasing the vertical cross-section convexity of each of said columns (24, 124, 224).
A blow-molded slender plastic bottle (10, 110) comprising:
- a dome (12, 112) having an upper portion with an upstanding sealable finish (18, 118) and a lower portion with a circumferential groove providing a waist (20);
- a base (14, 114);
- and
- a tubular sidewall (16, 116) between said dome (12, 112) and said base (14, 114), said sidewall (16, 116) being formed with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vertically-elongate columns (24, 124) disposed in an alternating pattern with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced substantially smooth-surfaced panels (22, 122);
- each of said columns (24, 124), as formed, being outwardly convex in horizontal cross section and each of said panels (22, 122), as formed, being inwardly concave in horizontal cross section such that each of said panels (22, 122) extends laterally between and merges directly with an adjacent pair of said columns (24, 124);
- each of said columns (24, 124), as formed, being outwardly convex in vertical cross section and each of said panels (22, 122), as formed, being inwardly concave in vertical cross section such that each of said columns (24, 124) and panels (22, 122) has opposite ends which merge directly into said dome (12, 112) and base (14, 114) of the bottle (10, 110);
- each of said panels (22, 122) flexing outwardly to expand the volume of the bottle (10, 110) during hot-filling and each of said panels (22, 122) flexing inwardly in response to a reduction in internal volume when the bottle (10, 110) is capped and permitted to cool;
- and
- said inward deflection of said panels (22, 122) increasing the horizontal cross-sectional convexity and decreasing the vertical cross-sectional convexity of each of said columns (24, 124) for structurally enhancing bottle top loading strength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.