Plastic container with sidewall vacuum panels

1. A hollow plastic container, which comprises:

a hollow body of plastic material having a lower supporting base, a side wall extending upwardly from the lower base, and an upper portion extending upwardly from the side wall, said upper portion including at least one opening therein;

at least three inwardly depressed channels spaced from each other extending around the side wall, with a first of said channels being an upper channel, a second of said channels being a central channel, and a third of said channels being a lower channel, and wherein said channels completely and continuously circumscribe the side wall; and

two to six spaced apart vacuum panels between the first and second channels spaced apart from each other, and two to six spaced apart vacuum panels between the second and third channels spaced apart from each other, wherein each vacuum panel includes an inwardly offset peripheral portion and a central portion, and wherein said container is a hot fill container.

2. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said container is a blow molded plastic container.

3. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said panels are centered between respective channels.

4. A container according to claim 1 , including elongated posts between the vacuum panels.

5. A container according to claim 4 , wherein said vacuum panels are adjacent said depressed channels, are vertically elongated and spaced apart from each other by said elongated posts which are smooth, vertically elongated land areas.

6. A container according to claim 1 , including an inwardly extending central portion of the base, a peripheral base rim to support the container when standing, and radially extending, outwardly disposed spokes extending between the central portion of the base and the peripheral rim.

7. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said plastic material is polyethylene terephthalate.

8. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the first and third of said channels each include at least two spaced apart discontinuities comprising raised portions, each of which interrupts the continuity of said first and third channels.

9. A container according to claim 8 , wherein each discontinuity is located over the central portion of a vacuum panel.

10. A container according to claim 1 , including a single first channel, a single second channel, and a single third channel.

11. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the vacuum panels are curved and the peripheral portion includes a curved surface that is depressed further than the central portion.

12. A hollow plastic container which comprises:

a hollow body of plastic material having a lower supporting base, a side wall extending upwardly from the lower base, and an upper portion extending upwardly from the side wall, said upper portion including at least one opening therein;

at least three inwardly depressed channels spaced from each other extending around the side wall, with a first of said channels being an upper channel, a second of said channels being a central channel, and a third of said channels being a lower channel, wherein said first and third channels have a semi-hexagonal cross-section and said second channel has a semi-cylindrical cross-section; and

at least two spaced apart vacuum panels between the first and second channels, and at least two spaced apart vacuum panels between the second and third channels.

13. A hollow plastic container, which comprises:

a hollow body of plastic material having a lower supporting base, a side wall extending upwardly from the lower base, and an upper portion extending upwardly from the side wall, said upper portion including at least one opening therein;

at least three inwardly depressed channels spaced from each other extending around the side wall, with a first of said channels being an upper channel, a second of said channels being a central channel, and a third of said channels being a lower channel; and

two to six spaced apart vacuum panels between the first and second channels spaced apart from each other, and two to six spaced apart vacuum panels between the second and third channels spaced apart from each other, wherein each vacuum panel includes an inwardly offset peripheral portion and a central portion and wherein said container is a hot fill container and is round.

14. A container according to claim 13 , wherein the diameter of the container is smaller at the central channel than at the upper and lower channels.

15. A hollow plastic container, which comprises:

a hollow body of plastic material having a lower supporting base, a side wall extending upwardly from the base, and an upper portion extending upwardly from the side wall, said upper portion including at least one opening therein;

at least three inwardly depressed channels spaced from each other extending around the side wall, with a first of said channels being an upper channel, a second of said channels being a central channel, and a third of said channels being a lower channel; and

six spaced apart vacuum panels between the first and second channels spaced apart from each other, and six spaced apart vacuum panels between the second and third channels spaced apart from each other, wherein each vacuum panel includes an inwardly offset peripheral portion and a central portion, and wherein said container is a hot fill container.

16. A hollow plastic container, which comprises:

a hollow body of plastic material having a lower supporting base, a side wall extending upwardly from the lower base, and an upper portion extending upwardly from the side wall, said upper portion including at least one opening therein;

at least three inwardly depressed channels spaced from each other extending around the side wall, with a first of said channels being an upper channel, a second of said channels being a central channel, and a third of said channels being a lower channel, wherein the central channel has a larger diameter than the upper and lower channels; and

two to six spaced apart vacuum panels between the first and second channels spaced apart from each other, and two to six spaced part vacuum panels between the second and third channels spaced apart from each other, wherein each vacuum panel includes an inwardly offset peripheral portion and a central portion, and wherein said container is a hot fill container.

17. A hollow plastic container, which comprises:

a hollow body of plastic material having a lower supporting base, a side wall extending upwardly from the lower base, and an upper portion extending upwardly from the side wall, said upper portion including at least one opening therein;

at least three inwardly depressed channels spaced from each other extending around the side wall, with a first of said channels being an upper channel, a second of said channels being a central channel, and a third of said channels being a lower channel, wherein the first and third of said channels each include at least two spaced apart discontinuities comprising raised portions, each of which interrupts the continuity of said first and third channels, wherein the central channel is continuous; and

two to six spaced apart vacuum panels between the first and second channels spaced apart from each other, and two to six spaced apart vacuum panels between the second and third channels spaced apart from each other, wherein each vacuum panel includes an inwardly offset peripheral portion and a central portion, and wherein said container is a hot fill container.