Container having vacuum panel with balanced vacuum and pressure response

1. A container comprising:

a finish;

a sidewall extending from said finish;

a base extending from said sidewall and enclosing said sidewall to define a cavity for retaining a commodity; and

a flexible panel disposed in said sidewall, said flexible panel including:

a belt land portion; and

a pair of inset portions each mirroring one another along said horizontal channel of said central panel and including:

a plurality of concentric ribs extending outward from the cavity and commonly disposed about a central recess; and

a plurality of concentric valleys extending inward toward the cavity and interspersed between said plurality of concentric ribs; and

a generally oval boundary area surrounding and containing said belt land portion and said pair of inset portions.

2. The container according to claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of ribs are generally C-shaped.

3. The container according to claim 1 wherein said ribs are within said belt land portion.

4. The container according to claim 1 wherein said generally oval boundary area comprises a transition surface between said pair of inset portions and adjacent lands extending along said sidewall.

5. The container according to claim 1 wherein each one of said pair of inset portions are clamshell-shaped.

6. The container according to claim 1 wherein said belt land portion defines a continuous, transition with adjacent sides of said sidewall.

7. The container according to claim 1 wherein said flexible panel flexes in response to vacuum forces.

8. The container according to claim 1 wherein said pair of inset portions further comprise a gripping surface that is flexible in response to vacuum forces.