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US 7,000,793 B2Granted
Hot-fill container base structure
AssigneeGraham Packaging Company, L.P.
InventorsEd Roubal, Roy Krohn, David Kesselman, Larry Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a base structure of a container. The base structure includes a support heel that defines any number of touch points for contact with a horizontal surface. The support heel includes inner and outer portions that merge with the container's corrugated support flute and sidewall, respectively. The base structure also includes a fin that forms the zipper pinch and extends transverse to and intersects corrugations of the corrugated support flute.
Claims30
A base structure for a container having a sidewall, the base structure comprising:
- a support heel defining a touch point for contact with a horizontal surface, the support heel having an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion merging with the container sidewall;
- a corrugated support flute having corrugations surrounded by the support heel and merging with the inner portion of the support heel;
- and
- a fin extending transverse to and intersecting at least one of the corrugations of the corrugated support flute the fin comprising:
- a beam having first and second sides, the second side being opposite and substantially parallel to the first side;
- and
- a plurality of protrusions alternatively positioned on the first and second sides of the beam;
- wherein the corrugations extend in a first direction and a center of each corrugation defines a midpoint of the base structure in the first direction, and the fin extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and substantially through the center of each corrugation.
5 more elements
A base structure for a container having a sidewall, the base structure comprising:
- a support heel defining a touch point for contact with a horizontal surface, the support heel having an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion merging with the container sidewall;
- a corrugated support flute having corrugations surrounded by the support heel and merging with the inner portion of the support heel;
- and
- a fin extending transverse to and intersecting at least one of the corrugations of the corrugated support flute, the fin comprising:
- a zigzag curve extending in a longitudinal direction;
- and
- a beam extending in the longitudinal direction and intersecting the zigzag curve;
- wherein the corrugations extend in a first direction and a center of each corrugation defines a midpoint of the base structure in the first direction, and the fin extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and substantially through the center of each corrugation.
5 more elements
A base structure for a container having a sidewall, the base structure comprising:
- a support heel defining a touch point for contact with a horizontal surface, the support heel merging with the container sidewall;
- a plurality of ribs, each rib having two ends that merge with the support heel;
- and
- a fin extending transverse to and intersecting at least one of the ribs, the fin comprising:
- a beam having first and second sides, the second side being opposite and substantially parallel to the first side;
- and
- a plurality of protrusions alternatively positioned on the first and second sides of the beam;
- wherein the ribs extend in a first direction and a center of each rib defines a midpoint of the base structure in the first direction, and the fin extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and substantially through the center of each rib.
5 more elements
A base structure for a container having a sidewall, the base structure comprising:
- a support heel defining a touch point for contact with a horizontal surface, the support heel merging with the container sidewall;
- a plurality of ribs, each rib having two ends that merge with the support heel;
- and
- a fin extending transverse to and intersecting at least one of the ribs, the fin comprising:
- a zigzag curve extending in a longitudinal direction;
- and
- a beam extending in the longitudinal direction and intersecting the zigzag curve;
- wherein the ribs extend in a first direction and a center of each rib defines a midpoint of the base structure in the first direction, and the fin extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and substantially through the center of each rib.
5 more elements
A container comprising:
- a neck portion defining an opening;
- a base structure;
- and
- a sidewall that merges with the base structure and the neck portion at opposite ends of the container,
- wherein the base structure has:
- a support heel defining a touch point for contact with a horizontal surface, the support heel having an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion merging with the container sidewall;
- a corrugated support flute having corrugations surrounded by the support heel and merging with the inner portion of the support heel;
- and
- a fin extending transverse to and intersecting at least one of the corrugations of the support flute, the fin comprising:
- a zigzag curve extending in a longitudinal direction;
- and
- a beam extending in the longitudinal direction and intersecting the zigzag curve;
- wherein the corrugations extend in a first direction and a center of each corrugation defines a midpoint of the base structure in the first direction, and the fin extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and substantially through the center of each corrugation.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.