Container with dynamic base

1 . A plastic container comprising:

a container body comprising a bottom portion, an upper portion, a sidewall portion extending between said upper portion and said bottom portion, and a finish portion, said container body having a chamber defined therein, said finish portion extending from said upper portion and defining a mouth in fluid communication with said chamber;

said bottom portion including a base portion comprising:

a support surface;

a plurality of ribs;

a plurality of voids; and,

an inner core aligned with a central axis of said container body, said inner core including a contoured wall portion, a first radiused wall portion adjacent said contoured wall portion, and a second radiused wall portion adjacent said first radiused wall portion;

wherein said plurality of ribs and said plurality of voids are arranged radially relative to said inner core; and,

wherein, in response to an increase in internal pressure differential after filling with a heated liquid and capping, said bottom portion is configured to permit a region of said support surface to move downwardly and wherein said support surface is angled upwards and extends towards said upper portion as it extends away from said inner core and towards said sidewall portion.

2 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein said bottom portion comprises a curved corner between said support surface and said sidewall, said bottom portion being further configured to move in response to a varying pressure differential comprising:

a first pressure differential present during a first heated fluid processing stage of said container body;

a second pressure differential present during a second heated fluid processing stage of said container body, said second pressure differential being different than said first pressure differential, and said second heated fluid processing stage being different than said first heated fluid processing stage;

a third pressure differential present during a third cooled fluid processing stage of said container body, said third pressure differential being different than each of said first pressure differential and said second pressure differential, and said third cooled fluid processing stage being different than each of said first heated fluid processing stage and said second heated fluid processing stage, and,

wherein said contoured wall portion is configured to move from a first height from the support surface in said first pressure differential to a second height in response to said second pressure differential, said second height being less than said first height, and to a third height in response to said third pressure differential, said third height being different than each of said first height and said second height.

3 . The plastic container of claim 2 , wherein said third height is greater than each of said first height and said second height, and wherein said curved corner is configured to move inward towards said central axis and upward towards said upper portion in said third pressure differential and a radius of curvature within said curved corner decreases.

4 . The plastic container of claim 2 , wherein said support surface extends towards said upper portion as it extends away from said inner core during the first heated fluid processing stage and said support surface extends towards said upper portion as it extends towards said inner core and away from said sidewall during said third cooled fluid processing stage.

5 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein each rib of said plurality of ribs includes a bottom surface portion having a surface area, said support surface comprising a surface area defined by a cumulative surface area of each said surface area of each said bottom surface portion.

6 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein a number of said plurality of ribs is 16 or greater.

7 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein a number of said plurality of ribs is equal to a number of said plurality of voids.

8 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of voids has a tapered configuration comprising an upper surface and a lower gap portion, wherein a width of said lower gap portion is greater than a width of said upper surface.

9 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of voids has a same height relative to said support surface.

10 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein said base portion further comprises a cylindrical base wall portion, said support surface being between said cylindrical base wall portion and said second radiused wall portion.

11 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein said first radiused wall portion has an angled configuration and said second radiused wall portion has an angled configuration, and wherein an angle of said first radiused wall portion angled configuration is greater than an angle of said second radiused wall portion angled configuration.

12 . The plastic container of claim 11 , wherein said angle of said second radiused wall portion angled configuration has a value within a range of 1° to 25°.

13 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein said support surface extends upwardly between about 0.5° and 10.0°.

14 . The plastic container of claim 13 , wherein said support surface extends upwardly between about 2° and 7.0°.

15 . The plastic container of claim 1 , wherein said base portion further comprises a step portion between a first hinge point adjacent said support surface and a second hinge.

16 . The plastic container of claim 15 , wherein during said second heated fluid processing stage, said second radiused wall portion remains a distance from a reference plane defined by said support surface.

17 . A plastic container comprising:

a container body comprising a bottom portion, an upper portion, a sidewall portion extending between said upper portion and said bottom portion, and a finish portion, said container body having a chamber defined therein, said finish portion extends from said upper portion and defines a mouth in fluid communication with said chamber;

said bottom portion including a base portion comprising:

a support surface;

a plurality of ribs;

a plurality of voids; and,

an inner core aligned with a central axis of said container body, said inner core including a contoured wall portion, a first radiused wall portion adjacent said contoured wall portion, and a second radiused wall portion adjacent said first radiused wall portion;

wherein said base portion further comprises a step portion between a first hinge point adjacent the support surface and a second hinge point;

wherein said plurality of ribs and said plurality of voids are arranged radially relative to said inner core; and,

wherein said bottom portion is configured to permit said support surface to move downwardly and away from said upper portion in response to an increase in internal pressure differential after filling with a heated fluid and capping, and upwardly and closer to said upper portion in response to a decrease in internal pressure differential after cooling the heated fluid.

18 . The container of claim 17 , wherein during the increased internal pressure differential the second radiused wall portion remains a distance from a reference plane defined by the support surface.

19 . The container of claim 17 , wherein the support surface, in an as molded position, extends towards said upper portion as it extends away from said inner core and has a contact point at a distance D1 from said central axis, and further wherein, during the decreased internal pressure differential, the support surface extends towards said upper portion as it extends towards said inner core and has a contact point at a distance D3 from said central axis with said distance D3 greater than said distance D1.

20 . A plastic container comprising:

a container body comprising a bottom portion, an upper portion, a sidewall portion extending between said upper portion and said bottom portion, and a finish portion, said container body having a chamber defined therein, said finish portion extends from said upper portion and defines a mouth in fluid communication with said chamber;

said bottom portion including a base portion comprising:

a support surface;

a plurality of ribs;

a plurality of voids; and,

an inner core aligned with a central axis of said container body, said inner core including a contoured wall portion, a first radiused wall portion adjacent said contoured wall portion, and a second radiused wall portion adjacent said first radiused wall portion;

wherein the support surface extends towards said upper portion as it extends away from said inner core and a point of the support surface closest to the central axis is at a distance D1;

wherein said base portion further comprises a step portion between a first hinge point adjacent the support surface and a second hinge point;

wherein said plurality of ribs and said plurality of voids are arranged radially relative to said inner core;

wherein said bottom portion is configured to permit a region of the support surface to move downwardly in response to an increase in internal pressure differential after filling with a heated fluid and capping, and upwardly in response to a decrease in internal pressure differential after cooling the heated fluid;

wherein, during the increased internal pressure differential, the second radiused wall portion remains at a distance from a reference plane defined by the support surface; and,

wherein, during the decreased internal pressure differential, the support surface extends towards said upper portion as it extends towards said inner core and has the point of the support surface closest to the central axis is at a distance D3 with distance D3 being greater than distance D1.