Pasteurizable and hot-fillable blow molded plastic container

1. A blow molded plastic container, comprising:

a main body portion, said main body portion being shaped so as to be substantially rectangular in horizontal cross-section; and

a base portion, said base portion defining a generally rectangular standing ring and an elevated push-up portion that is positioned radially inward of said standing ring, and

wherein said push-up portion has a bottom wall portion that is shaped to define:

a central region;

an annular, substantially straight and substantially vertical generally rectangular rise portion that is positioned immediately radially inward of said standing ring; and

a plurality of radially oriented waves, each of said waves extending radially outwardly from said central region continuously to said generally rectangular vertical rise portion.

2. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein each of said waves includes a peak portion that is convexly radiused to extend downwardly and a trough portion that is concavely radiused to extend upwardly.

3. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 2 , wherein said generally rectangular standing ring has four corner portions, and wherein each of said corner portions is radially aligned with a peak portion of a corresponding wave.

4. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 2 , wherein said peak portion has a radially oriented axis, a first transverse mean radius of curvature at a first location, and a second transverse mean radius of curvature at a second location that is radially outward from said first location, and wherein said second transverse mean radius of curvature is greater than said first transverse mean radius of curvature.

5. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 2 , wherein said trough portion has a radially oriented axis, a first transverse mean radius of curvature at a first location, and a second transverse mean radius of curvature at a second location that is radially outward from said first location, and wherein said second transverse mean radius of curvature is greater than said first transverse mean radius of curvature.

6. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein said vertical rise portion extends for a vertical height from said standing ring that is within a range of about 0.036 inch to about 0.2 inch.

7. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein each of said waves is shaped so as to subtend a substantially constant angle along its length.

8. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein said waves are symmetrically arranged about said central region.

9. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein at least four of said waves are provided.

10. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein at least six of said waves are provided.

11. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein said substantially rectangular main body portion has a plurality of vertically extending edge portions, and wherein at least one of said edges has at least one inwardly extending gusset defined therein.

12. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein said container is fabricated from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

13. A heat sterilizable blow molded plastic container, comprising:

a base portion; and

a main body portion, said main body portion being substantially rectangular in transverse cross-section and shaped so as to have a plurality of sidewall portions that are bounded by a plurality of vertically extending edge portions; and wherein

at least one of said vertically extending edge portions has at least one inwardly extending gusset defined therein, the gusset having a concave inner surface.

14. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of said sidewall portions has at least one support rib defined therein.

15. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 14 , wherein said support rib is oriented so as to be substantially horizontal.

16. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 15 , wherein said inwardly extending gusset is not disposed in the same horizontal plane as said support rib.

17. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 13 , wherein said at least one of said vertically extending edge portions has a plurality of said inwardly extending gussets defined therein.

18. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 13 , wherein a plurality of said vertically extending edge portions have at least one inwardly extending gusset defined therein.

19. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 18 , wherein each of said vertically extending edge portions has a plurality of said inwardly extending gussets defined therein.

20. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 13 , wherein said container is fabricated from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

21. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 13 , wherein the gusset is defined by a groove that extends along an axis that forms substantially equal angles with respective planes in which the adjacent sidewall portions reside.

22. A blow molded plastic container according to claim 13 , wherein each of the sidewall portions includes a plurality of substantially horizontally oriented structural reinforcement features, and wherein the gusset is not disposed in a common horizontal plane with any of the horizontally oriented structural reinforcement features.