Container having segmented bumper rib

1. A plastic container comprising:

an upper portion having a mouth defining an opening into said container;

a shoulder region extending from said upper portion;

a sidewall portion extending from said shoulder region to a base portion, said base portion closing off an end of said container; and

an upper bumper portion defined at a transition from said shoulder region to said sidewall portion, said upper bumper portion having an upper raised wall defining a maximum width of the container, said upper raised wall further having a recessed portion formed therein bisecting said upper bumper portion and extending over an entire height of said upper raised wall from said shoulder region to an area of said sidewall portion immediately below said upper raised wall to generally prevent any permanent creasing, denting or buckling in said upper bumper portion as a result of an impact force.

2. The plastic container of claim 1 wherein said shoulder region comprises a generally rectangular horizontal cross section including two opposing longer sidewalls and two opposing shorter sidewalls.

3. The plastic container of claim 2 wherein said recessed portion is formed on at least one of said two opposing shorter sidewalls.

4. The plastic container of claim 3 wherein said recessed portion includes opposing recessed portions formed on each of said two opposing shorter sidewalls generally at a centerline of a longitudinal axis of said opposing shorter sidewalls.

5. The plastic container of claim 4 wherein said sidewall portion further comprises a series of uninterrupted horizontal ribs and a series of lands located between said horizontal ribs, said horizontal ribs and said lands circumscribing a perimeter of said sidewall portion and extending in a longitudinal direction from said shoulder region to said base region.

6. The plastic container of claim 4 wherein said opposing recessed portions each define tapered walls leading from said raised wall to said respective recessed portion.

7. The plastic container of claim 2 wherein said shoulder region includes two generally polygonal shaped vacuum panels, one formed in each of said opposing longer sidewalls of said shoulder region and two support panels, one formed in each of said opposing shorter sidewalls of said shoulder region.

8. The plastic container of claim 1 , further comprising a lower bumper portion defined at a transition from said base portion to said sidewall portion, said lower bumper portion having a lower raised wall defined at said maximum width of the container, said lower raised wall further having a recessed portion formed therein.

9. A plastic container comprising:

an upper portion having a mouth defining an opening into said container;

a shoulder region extending from said upper portion, said shoulder region including a generally rectangular horizontal cross section including two opposing longer sidewalls and two opposing shorter sidewalls;

a sidewall portion extending from said shoulder region to a base portion, said sidewall portion further including a series of uninterrupted horizontal ribs and a series of lands located between said horizontal ribs, said horizontal ribs and said lands circumscribing a perimeter of said sidewall portion and extending in a longitudinal direction from said shoulder region to said base portion, said base portion closing off an end of the container; and

an upper bumper portion defined at a transition from said shoulder region to said sidewall portion, said upper bumper portion having an upper raised wall defining a maximum width of the container, said upper raised wall further having at least two opposing recessed portions formed therein and each formed on a respective one of said two opposing shorter sidewalls generally at a centerline of a longitudinal axis of said opposing shorter sidewalls, said recessed portions bisecting said upper bumper portion and extending between said shoulder region and an area of said sidewall portion immediately below said upper raised wall to generally prevent any permanent creasing, denting or buckling in said upper bumper portion as a result of an impact force, a distance between said at least two opposing recessed portions being substantially equivalent to a distance between opposing portions of one of said lands on said opposing shorter sidewalls.

10. A plastic container comprising:

an upper portion having a mouth defining an opening into said container;

a shoulder region extending from said upper portion;

a sidewall portion extending from said shoulder region to a base portion, said base portion closing off an end of said container; and

a lower bumper portion defined at a transition from said base portion to said sidewall portion, said lower bumper portion having a lower raised wall defining a maximum width of the container, said lower raised wall further having a recessed portion formed therein bisecting said lower bumper portion and extending over an entire height of said lower raised wall from said base portion to an area of said sidewall portion immediately above said lower raised wall to generally prevent any permanent creasing, denting or buckling in said lower bumper portion as a result of an impact force.

11. The plastic container of claim 10 wherein said base portion comprises a generally rectangular horizontal cross section including two opposing longer sidewalls and two opposing shorter sidewalls.

12. The plastic container of claim 11 wherein said recessed portion is formed on at least one of said opposing shorter and opposing longer sidewalls.

13. The plastic container of claim 12 wherein said recessed portion includes a first pair of opposing recessed portions formed on each of said two opposing shorter sidewalls respectively, said opposing recessed portions each formed generally at a longitudinal axis defined at a centerline of said opposing shorter sidewalls, respectively.

14. The plastic container of claim 13 wherein said sidewall portion further comprises a series of uninterrupted horizontal ribs and a series of lands located between said horizontal ribs, said horizontal ribs and said lands circumscribing a perimeter of said sidewall and extending in a longitudinal direction from said shoulder region to said base portion.

15. The plastic container of claim 14 :

wherein a distance between said first pair of opposing recessed portions is substantially equivalent to a distance between opposing portions of one of said lands on said opposing shorter sidewalls.

16. The plastic container of claim 13 wherein said recessed portion further includes a second pair of opposing recessed portions formed on each of said two opposing longer sidewalls respectively, said opposing recessed portions each formed generally at a longitudinal axis defined at a centerline of said opposing longer sidewalls, respectively.

17. The plastic container of claim 16 wherein said sidewall portion further comprises a series of uninterrupted horizontal ribs and a series of lands located between said horizontal ribs, said horizontal ribs and said lands circumscribing a perimeter of said sidewall and extending in a longitudinal direction from said shoulder region to said base portion.

18. The plastic container of claim 17 wherein a distance between said second pair of recessed portions is substantially equivalent to a distance between opposing portions of one of said lands on said opposing longer sidewalls.

19. The plastic container of claim 18 wherein each of said first and second pair of recessed portions define tapered walls leading from said lower raised wall to said respective recessed portions.

20. A plastic container comprising:

an upper portion having a mouth defining an opening into said container;

a shoulder region extending from said upper portion;

a sidewall portion extending from said shoulder region to a base portion, said base portion closing off an end of the container;

an upper bumper portion defined at a transition from said shoulder region to said sidewall portion, said upper bumper portion having an upper raised wall defining a maximum width of the container, said upper raised wall further having a recessed portion formed therein bisecting said upper bumper portion and extending over an entire height of said upper raised wall from said shoulder region to an area of said sidewall portion immediately below said upper raised wall to generally prevent any permanent creasing, denting or buckling in said upper bumper portion as a result of an impact force; and

a lower bumper portion defined at a transition from said base portion to said sidewall portion, said lower bumper portion having a lower raised wall defined at said maximum width of the container, said lower raised wall further having a recessed portion formed therein bisecting said lower bumper portion and extending over an entire height of said lower raised wall from said base portion to an area of said sidewall portion immediately above said lower raised wall to generally prevent any permanent creasing, denting or buckling in said lower bumper portion as a result of an impact force.

21. The plastic container of claim 20 wherein said shoulder region and said base portion comprise a generally rectangular horizontal cross section including two opposing longer sidewalls and two opposing shorter sidewalls, and wherein said recessed portion formed in said upper bumper portion is formed on at least one of said two opposing shorter sidewalls and said recessed portion formed in said lower bumper portion is formed on at least one of said opposing shorter and opposing longer sidewalls.