Container with flexible panels
View Patent ↗A container having a central longitudinal axis, the container including at least one deflectable flexible panel, the flexible panel projecting from the longitudinal axis to pass through at least three curves including a first curve having a first constant radius, a second curve having a second varying radius, and a third curve having a third constant radius that is lesser than the first radius.
1. A container having a central longitudinal axis, the container including at least one deflectable flexible panel, the flexible panel projecting from the longitudinal axis to pass through at least three curves including a first curve having a first constant radius, a second curve having a second varying radius, and a third curve having a third constant radius that is lesser than the first radius,
wherein the flexible panel has no reinforcement ribs or grooves.
2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the second curve is comprised of a plurality of arcs.
3. The container of claim 2 , wherein the second curve includes an arc at its midpoint with a radius which is smaller than the radiuses of all other arcs in the second curve.
4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the second curve projects from the longitudinal axis to a greater extent than the first curve.
5. The container of claim 1 , wherein the second curve projects from the longitudinal axis to a lesser extent than the third curve.
6. The container of claim 1 , wherein the second curve comprises a compound curve.
7. The container of claim 6 , wherein the compound curve comprises at least first, second and third arcs.
8. The container of claim 7 , wherein the second arc is arranged in between the first and third arcs.
9. The container of claim 8 , wherein the second arc is concave with respect to the other arcs in the curve.
10. The container of claim 8 , wherein the second arc has a radius greater than a radius of the first arc and a radius of the third arc.
11. The container of claim 10 , wherein the third arc has a constant radius.
12. The container of claim 10 , wherein a radius of the third arc is less than a radius of the first arc.
13. The container of claim 10 , wherein the third arc is arranged at a midpoint of the second curve and has a radius smaller than the first and second arcs.
14. The container of claim 13 , wherein the second curve is symmetrical.
15. The container of claim 1 , wherein endpoints of the first curve, endpoints of the second curve, and endpoints of the third curve lie in the same plane parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the container.
16. The container of claim 1 , wherein the second curve is comprised of at least three arcs on at least one side of a midpoint of the second curve and wherein at least one pair of arcs on the at least one side of the midpoint of the second curve are separated from each other by an arc having a radius different than either member of the pair of arcs.
17. A container having a central longitudinal axis, the container comprising at least one deflectable flexible panel, the flexible panel having an exterior surface and an interior surface and projecting from the longitudinal axis to pass through at least three curves including a first curve having a first constant radius, a second curve having a second varying radius, and a third curve having a third constant radius that is lesser than the first radius, wherein an entire area of the interior surface is substantially smooth.
18. The container of claim 17 , comprising a first pair of flexible panels arranged opposite each other and a second pair of flexible panels arranged opposite each other, each flexible panel in each pair being adjacent to the flexible panels of the other pair.
19. The container of claim 18 , wherein a surface of the at least one flexible panel is smooth.
20. The container of claim 17 , wherein an amount the exterior surface projects from a plane defined by the longitudinal axis increases in a longitudinal direction of the container.
21. The container of claim 17 , wherein the at least one flexible panel is substantially rectangular in shape.
22. A container, comprising:
an enclosed base portion;
a body portion extending upwardly from the base portion, the body portion including a central longitudinal axis and at least one flexible panel being featureless and having an initial portion that passes through a first curve having a first constant radius, a middle portion arranged below the initial portion that passes through a second curve having a second varying radius, and a tail portion arranged below the middle portion that passes through a third curve having a third constant radius that is lesser than the first constant radius; and
a top portion with a finish extending upwardly from the body portion.
23. The container of claim 22 , comprising four flexible panels arranged around the body portion.
24. The container of claim 22 , wherein a cross-section of the body portion in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is rectangular.
25. The container of claim 22 , wherein the at least one flexible panel accommodates a vacuum-induced volumetric shrinkage of the container resulting from a hot-filling, capping and cooling thereof.
26. The container of claim 25 , wherein after cooling the third radius becomes nearly the same as the first radius.
27. The container of claim 25 , wherein after cooling the at least one flexible panel projects from the longitudinal axis in a symmetrical manner about the middle portion.
28. The container of claim 22 , wherein the second curve comprises a compound curve.
29. The container of claim 28 , wherein the compound curve comprises at least first, second and third arcs.
30. The container of claim 29 , wherein the second arc is arranged in between the first and third arcs.
31. The container of claim 30 , wherein a radius of the third arc is less than a radius of the first arc.
32. The container of claim 30 , wherein the second arc has a radius greater than a radius of the first arc and a radius of the third arc.
33. The container claim 32 , wherein the third arc is arranged at a midpoint of the second curve and has a radius smaller than the first and second arcs.
34. The container of claim 33 , wherein the third arc has a constant radius.
35. The container of claim 33 , wherein the second arc is concave with respect to the other arcs in the curve.
36. The container of claim 22 , wherein the second curve projects from the longitudinal axis to a greater extent than the first curve.
37. The container of claim 22 , wherein the second curve projects from the longitudinal axis to a lesser extent than the third curve.
38. The container of claim 22 , comprising a plurality of flexible panels, wherein the flexible panels have side edges arranged opposite each other, the side edges of each flexible panel being connected to side edges of an adjacent flexible panel.
39. The container of claim 38 , wherein the first curve extends between the side edges in the initial portion.
40. The container of claim 38 , wherein the second curve extends between the side edges in the middle portion.
41. The container of claim 38 , wherein the third curve extends between the side edges in the tail portion.
42. The container of claim 22 , wherein endpoints of the first curve, end points of the second curve, and endpoints of the third curve lie in the same plane parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the container.
43. The container of claim 22 , wherein the second curve is comprised of at least three arcs on at least one side of a midpoint of the second curve and wherein at least one pair of arcs on the at least one side of the midpoint of the second curve are separated from each other by an arc having a radius different than either member of the pair of arcs.
44. A container having a central longitudinal axis, the container including at least one deflectable flexible panel, the flexible panel projecting from the longitudinal axis to pass through at least three curves including, at an initial portion, a first curve having a first constant radius, at a middle portion, a second curve having a second varying radius, and at a tail portion, a third curve having a third constant radius that is lesser than the first radius, the middle portion being adapted to provide a stiff point whereby the panel accommodates a vacuum-induced volumetric shrinkage of the container resulting from a hot-filling, capping and cooling thereof and after cooling the third radius becomes nearly the same as the first radius.
45. The container of claim 44 , wherein the flexible panel is convex after cooling.
46. The container of claim 44 , wherein endpoints of the first curve, endpoints of the second curve, and endpoints of the third curve lie in the same plane parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the container.
47. The container of claim 44 , wherein the second curve is comprised of at least three arcs on at least one side of a midpoint of the second curve and wherein at least one pair of arcs on the at least one side of the midpoint of the second curve are separated from each other by an arc having a radius different that either member of the pair of arcs.