Granted Patent B2

US 8,267,266 · App. 12/326,786 · Granted Sep 18, 2012

Abstract

Claims (58)

1. A plastic hot fill bottle comprising:

an enclosed base;

an upper portion that extends upwardly to a finish;

a body located between the base and the upper portion, the body defining a vertical axis oriented perpendicular to the enclosed base, and including a sidewall having an even number of circumferentially spaced, vacuum compensation elements, each one of the elements generally having a V-shape and comprising a first field, a second field, and a third field;

the first field being nested within the second field, and

the second field being nested within the third field;

each of said elements being generally closed on one of an upper end and a lower end and generally open on the other one of the upper end and the lower end, each of said elements further including:

the closed end defining a rounded tip with a pair of free ends;

curved transition portions extending from the free ends of the tip;

lateral portions connected to the curved transition portions and being generally parallel to each other and laterally displaced from the vertical axis; and

flared end portions connected to the lateral portions and bending outwardly relative to the lateral portions and to the vertical axis.

2. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the elements alternate upwardly orientated and downwardly orientated.

3. The bottle of claim 1 wherein all the elements are upwardly orientated.

4. The bottle of claim 3 wherein the elements further include at least one eye brow disposed adjacent to the closed end of the elements.

5. The bottle of claim 1 wherein all the elements are downwardly orientated.

6. The bottle of claim 5 wherein the elements further include at least one eye brow disposed adjacent to the closed end of the elements.

7. The bottle of claim 1 wherein each one of the fields includes a rounded tip in a middle of a closed end, curved transition portions extending from the tip, lateral portions connected to the curved transition portions, being generally parallel to each other and laterally displaced from the vertical axis, and flared end portions connecting to the lateral portions and bending outwardly relative to the vertical axis and to the lateral portions.

8. The bottle of claim 7 wherein each of said fields is a generally flat surface tapering inwardly towards the vertical axis and being defined at one end by a ridge projecting generally radially outwardly relative to the end of the field and each one of the tip, transition portions, and lateral portions of the fields are defined by the ridges.

9. The bottle of claim 8 , wherein, before hot filling, the tip of the closed end of the third field is recessed relative to the tip of the closed end of the second field, the tip of the closed end of the second field is recessed relative to the tip of the closed end of the first field.

10. The bottle of claim 9 wherein, before hot filling, the tip of the closed end of the first field is recessed relative to a circumference of the body.

11. The bottle of claim 1 wherein an area defined by the first field is located entirely within an area defined by the second field, and the area defined by the second field is located entirely within an area defined by the third field.

12. The bottle of claim 1 wherein each of said elements further includes a fourth field, and the third field is nested in the fourth field.

13. The bottle of claim 12 wherein, in response to internal vacuum pressure upon hot filling, the maximum region of inward deflection is located approximately in the second field.

14. The bottle of claim 1 wherein each one of said fields forms a face that is completely flat and inclined within the outermost diameter of the body at a 4-8 degree angle relative to the vertical axis.

15. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the sidewall has four elements such that the body is approximately square in transverse cross section before hot-filling.

16. The bottle of claim 1 further comprising a label panel located between the body and the upper portion and a label disposed over at least a portion of the label panel, the body being label-less.

17. The bottle of claim 16 wherein the label panel is substantially cylindrical.

18. The bottle of claim 17 wherein the label panel includes ribs.

19. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the even number of elements is two, and the elements are disposed on opposite sides of the bottle.

20. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the body includes intermediate portions between the elements.

21. The bottle of claim 20 wherein said intermediate portions are disposed between the flared ends of the elements that extend toward the closed ends of adjacent elements.

22. A plastic hot-fill bottle comprising:

an enclosed base,

an upper portion that extends upwardly to a finish;

a body located between the base and the upper portion, the body defining a vertical axis orientated perpendicular to the enclosed base, and including a sidewall having at least one circumferentially spaced, vacuum compensation elements, each one of the elements comprising a first field, a second field, and a third field; the first field being nested within the second field, the second field being nested within the third field;

each of said elements being generally enclosed on one of an upper end and a lower end and generally open on the other one of the upper end and the lower end, the element open end smoothly merging into the container sidewall;

each of said fields being a generally flat surface tapering inwardly towards the vertical axis and being defined at one end by a ridge projecting generally radially outwardly relative to the end of the panel and each one of a tip, at least one transition portion, and at least one lateral portion of a field.

23. The bottle of claim 22 wherein each one of the elements generally has a V-shape.

24. A plastic hot-fill bottle comprising:

an enclosed base;

an upper portion that extends upwardly to neck and a finish;

a body located between the based and the upper portion, the body defining a vertical axis orientated perpendicular to the enclosed base, and including a sidewall comprising:

at least two vacuum compensation elements; and

at least two panels;

each of said elements and said panels being disposed around the circumference of the body in an alternating manner; and

each of said vacuum compensation elements having a generally V-shape and comprising:

a first field;

a second field; and

a third field; wherein the first field is nested within the second field, the second field is nested within the third field; and wherein each of said elements are generally closed on one of an upper end and a lower end and generally open on the other one of the upper end and the lower end, each of said elements further including:

the closed end defining a rounded tip with a pair of free ends;

curved transition portions extending from the free ends of the tip;

lateral portions connected to the curved transition portions and being generally parallel to each other and laterally displaced from the vertical axis;

flared end portions connected to the lateral portions and bending outwardly relative to the lateral portions and to the vertical axis;

each of said fields being a generally flat surface tapering inwardly towards the vertical axis and being defined at one end by a ridge projecting generally radially outwardly relative to the end of the field and each one of the tip, transition portions, and lateral portions of said elements.

25. The bottle of claim 24 wherein the panels are concave.

26. The bottle of claim 24 wherein the panels are adorned with an ornamental feature.

27. The bottle of claim 24 wherein all the elements are upwardly oriented.

28. The bottle of claim 24 wherein all the elements are downwardly orientated.

Assignments (14)