Container hoop support
View Patent ↗A plastic bottle includes any type of body and hoop supports that encircle the dome. The hoop supports may include continuous wave-like ribs; discontinuous ribs that are overlapping; plural, discrete segments that are inclined and overlapping; plural block-like segments formed of mutually perpendicular rectangles; indicia; horizontal segments in rows that overlap; and series of segments that are mutually interfering and overlaid. The hoop supports provide greater top load performance than conventional deep waist configurations.
1. A bottle comprising:
a bottom portion comprising:
an enclosed base having a standing ring;
a body extending upwardly from the base and defining a vertical axis oriented perpendicular to the standing ring; and
a top portion extending upwardly and away from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
a substantially circumferential hoop support defining a generally horizontally-oriented band that consists essentially of plural segments, each one of the segments having a lower portion, an intermediate portion extending from the lower portion, and an upper portion extending from the intermediate portion relative to the vertical axis of the body, the lower portions being located closer to the standing ring than the upper portions, and each one of the segments being (i) separate and spaced apart from circumferentially adjacent segments, (ii) elongate, and (iii) vertically overlapping relative to the vertical axis of the body, such that the upper portion of each segment is vertically located over the lower portion of a circumferentially adjacent segment, a tangent to a centerline of the upper portion proximate the end of the upper portion has a negative slope and a tangent to a centerline of the lower portion proximate the end of the lower portion has a positive slope, whereby the segments give the appearance of circumferentially spaced apart, vertically spaced, twisted strands;
a dome that extends upwardly from the hoop support; and
a finish at an uppermost portion of bottle.
2. The bottle of claim 1 wherein a rib is recessed relative to surrounding body surfaces.
3. The bottle of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of panels capable of inward deflection in response to internal vacuum.
4. A bottle comprising:
a bottom portion comprising:
an enclosed base having a standing ring;
a body extending upwardly from the base and devoid of a waist, the body defining a vertical axis; and
a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
a finish at an uppermost portion of bottle;
a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and
a substantially circumferential hoop support defining a generally horizontally-oriented band located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support comprising plural discrete shapes arranged in a mutually overhanging and undercutting pattern relative to the vertical axis of the body, such that each shape overlaps or undercuts at least one circumferentially adjacent shape, each one of the shapes having a lower portion, an intermediate portion extending from the lower portion, and an upper portion extending from the intermediate portion relative to the vertical axis of the body, and a tangent to a centerline of the upper portion proximate the end of the upper portion has a negative slope and a tangent to a centerline of the lower portion proximate the end of the lower portion has a positive slope, whereby the shapes give the appearance of circumferentially spaced apart, twisted strands.
5. The bottle of claim 4 wherein the shapes are identical to one another.
6. The bottle of claim 4 wherein each shape is spaced apart from adjacent shapes.
7. The bottle of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of panels capable of inward deflection in response to internal vacuum.
8. A hot fill bottle comprising:
a bottom portion including:
an enclosed base having a standing ring;
a body extending upwardly from the base and defining a vertical axis, said body including at least one vacuum panel and at least one rib; and
a top portion including:
a finish at an uppermost portion of the bottle;
a dome that extends downwardly from the finish; and
a substantially circumferential hoop support defining a generally horizontally oriented band located between the dome and the body of the bottom portion, the hoop support comprising at least one of:
a) a wave-like rib wherein the rib (i) is circumferentially continuous and (ii) has an upper surface and a lower surface forming a repeating pattern of peaks and valleys relative to the vertical axis of the body, wherein the upper surface and the lower surface are substantially the same distance apart from each other along the entire rib;
b) plural discrete segments that are oriented about the circumference of the body such that each segment has circumferentially adjacent segments on opposing sides thereof, each one of the segments having a first inclined lateral wall and an opposing second inclined lateral wall, each one of the lateral walls either overhanging or undercutting the lateral walls of circumferentially adjacent segments relative to the vertical axis of the body;
c) plural discrete shapes arranged in a mutually overhanging and undercutting pattern relative to the vertical axis of the body, such that each shape overlaps or undercuts at least one circumferentially adjacent shape;
d) plural block-like segments, at least some of said plural block-like segments being continuous rectangles including portions that are perpendicular to the vertical axis of the body and portions that are parallel to the vertical axis of the body, at least part of said rectangles being radially raised or radially recessed relative to adjacent bottle diameter;
e) indicia formed by surfaces of at least two radial depths; and
f) a first series of repeating shapes and a second series of repeating shapes, the first series of shapes alternating with the second series of shapes, the second series of shapes interfering with the first series of shapes such that a portion of each one of the second series of shapes appears to overlay a portion of each adjacent shape of the first series.
9. The bottle of claim 8 , wherein the hoop support is disposed on a substantially flat cylindrical portion of the bottle.
10. The bottle of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of panels capable of inward deflection in response to internal vacuum.
11. The bottle of claim 8 , wherein the bottom portion includes at least one circumferential rib.
12. A plastic bottle including a base having a standing ring, a body defining a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the standing ring and includes at least one vacuum panel and at least one rib, a dome, a finish, and at least one substantially circumferential hoop support located between the dome and the body, the hoop support comprising at least one of:
a) a wave-like rib wherein the rib (i) is circumferentially continuous and (ii) has an upper surface and a lower surface forming a repeating pattern of peaks and valleys relative to the vertical axis of the body wherein the upper surface and the lower surface are substantially the same distance apart from each other along the entire rib;
b) plural discrete segments that are orientated about the circumference of the body such that each segment has circumferentially adjacent segments on opposing sides thereof, each one of the segments having a first inclined lateral wall and an opposing second inclined lateral wall, each one of the lateral walls either overhanging or undercutting the lateral walls of circumferentially adjacent segments relative to the vertical axis of the body;
c) plural discrete shapes arranged in a mutually overhanging and undercutting pattern perpendicular to the vertical axis of the body, such that each shape overlaps or undercuts at least one circumferentially adjacent shape;
d) plural block-like segments, at least some of said plural block-like segments being continuous rectangles including portions that are perpendicular to the vertical axis of the body and portions that are parallel to the vertical axis of the body, at least part of said rectangles being radially raised or radially recessed relative to adjacent bottle diameter;
e) indicia formed by surfaces of at least two radial depths; and
f) a first series of repeating shapes and a second series of repeating shapes, the first series of shapes alternating with the second series of shapes, the second series of shapes interfering with the first series of shapes such that a portion of each one of the second series of shapes appears to overlay a portion of each adjacent shape of the first series.
13. The bottle of claim 12 , wherein the hoop support is disposed on a substantially flat cylindrical portion of the bottle.