Hot-fill container having flat panels
View Patent ↗A container may employ an upper portion defining a mouth, a shoulder portion formed with the upper portion and extending away from the upper portion, a bottom portion forming a base, a sidewall extending between and joining the shoulder portion and the bottom portion, and a plurality of smooth surfaced vacuum panels formed in the sidewall, which may be separated by one or more strengthening grooves. The vacuum panels and/or the container in a profile view may form an hourglass shape. The container may also employ a sidewall utilizing three smooth, grooveless, vacuum panels, which may form a triangle in cross-section. The vacuum panels may be concave inward toward a central vertical axis of the container and have an hourglass shape when the container is viewed in a side view.
1. A container comprising:
an upper portion defining a mouth;
a shoulder portion formed with the upper portion and extending away from the upper portion;
a bottom portion forming a base;
a sidewall extending between and joining the shoulder portion and the bottom portion;
a plurality of smooth vacuum panels formed in the sidewall, the plurality of smooth vacuum panels are grooveless and form a rectangular shape in cross-section; and
a plurality of continuous circular grooves separating the smooth vacuum panels and extending around a periphery of the containers;
wherein each one of the plurality of continuous circular grooves are at a plurality of different depths relative to the container sidewall, around a periphery of the container.
2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuous circular grooves are strengthening grooves.
3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuous circular grooves provide a hand gripping area.
4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the container in a profile view forms an hourglass shape.
5. The container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuous circular grooves in cross-section, between the vacuum panels, form a circle with an area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the vacuum panels.
6. The container of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the shoulder portion and the bottom portion form a circular shape in cross-section, the sidewall transitioning from the rectangular shape to the circular shape.
7. A container comprising:
an upper portion defining a mouth;
a shoulder portion formed with the upper portion and extending away from the upper portion;
a bottom portion forming a base;
a sidewall extending between and joining the shoulder portion and the bottom portion, the sidewall including four smooth, grooveless vacuum panels forming a rectangle in cross-section; and
a plurality of continuous circular grooves separating each one of the four smooth, grooveless vacuum panels and extending around a periphery of the container, each one of the plurality of continuous circular grooves has a plurality of different depths relative to the sidewall.
8. The container of claim 7 , wherein the vacuum panels are concave inward toward a central vertical axis of the container.
9. The container of claim 8 , wherein the vacuum panels have an hourglass shape when the container is viewed in a side view.
10. The container of claim 9 , wherein the shoulder portion and the base portion, to which the vacuum panels are molded to, are coincident from a top.
11. The container of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the shoulder portion and the bottom portion form a circular shape in cross-section, the vacuum panels transitioning from the rectangular shape to the circular shape.
12. A container comprising:
an upper portion defining a mouth;
a circular shoulder portion formed with the upper portion and extending away from the upper portion;
a circular bottom portion forming a base;
a sidewall extending between and joining the shoulder portion and the bottom portion, the sidewall including four smooth, grooveless vacuum panels forming a rectangle in cross-section; and
a plurality of continuous circular grooves separating each one of the four smooth, grooveless vacuum panels and extending around a periphery of the container, each one of the plurality of continuous circular grooves has a plurality of different depths relative to the sidewall, the plurality of continuous circular grooves provide a hand gripping area;
wherein the container has an hourglass shape in a profile view; and
wherein each one of the plurality of continuous circular grooves is recessed furthest within the sidewall at vertical corners of the container.
13. The container of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of continuous circular grooves in cross-section form a circle with an area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the vacuum panels.