Blow molded rectangular container
View Patent ↗An extrusion blow molded plastic container includes a main body portion, a finish portion, and a continuous ledge. The finish portion defines an opening, and includes an upper surface and an outer surface that defines a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners when viewed in transverse cross-section. The shape of the finish portion when viewed in transverse cross-section is smaller than the shape of the main body portion. The continuous ledge is defined between the outer surface of the main body portion and the outer surface of the finish portion. The ledge has a first width, adjacent to one of the rounded corners of the finish portion, that is greater than a second width that is not adjacent to one of the rounded corners of the finish portion.
1. An extrusion blow molded plastic container, comprising:
a main body portion, said main body portion having an outer surface defining a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners when viewed in transverse cross-section;
a finish portion defining an opening, the finish portion having an upper surface and an outer surface that defines a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners when viewed in transverse cross-section, the shape of the finish portion when viewed in transverse cross-section being smaller than the shape of the main body portion; and
a continuous ledge defined along an entire perimeter of the container between the outer surface of the main body portion and the outer surface of the finish portion, and wherein the ledge has a first maximum width at one of the rounded corners of the finish portion, and a second maximum width at a long side of the container, wherein the first maximum width is greater than the second maximum width, where the outer surface of the finish portion has a snap bead defined thereon.
2. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein a difference between the first width and the second width is substantially within a range of about 0.01 inch to about 0.3 inch.
3. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 2 , wherein the difference between the first width and the second width is substantially within a range of about 0.03 inch to about 0.2 inch.
4. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 3 , wherein the difference between the first width and the second width is substantially within a range of about 0.07 inch to about 0.15 inch.
5. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the finish portion further has a plurality of grooves defined therein, each of the grooves passing through the snap bead.
6. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of grooves has a substantially vertical orientation.
7. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of grooves are defined on a long side of the finish portion, the long side having a first width, each of the grooves having a bottom surface that has a maximum width when viewed in transverse cross-section, and wherein a ratio of a sum of the maximum widths of the grooves to the first width is substantially within a range of about 0.1 to about 0.4.
8. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 7 , wherein the ratio is substantially within a range of about 0.15 to about 0.35.
9. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 8 , wherein the ratio is substantially within a range of about 0.2 to about 0.3.
10. An extrusion blow molded plastic container, comprising:
a main body portion;
a finish portion defining an opening, the finish portion having an upper surface and an outer surface on which an outwardly projecting snap bead is defined about the finish portion wherein the finish portion when viewed in transverse cross section has a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides having a shorter length relative to the long sides; and
a plurality of grooves defined in the outer surface at least along one of the long sides of the finish portion and configured to interrupt the snap bead into a plurality of snap bead segments, wherein the plurality of grooves are configured to inhibit saddling of the at least one long side of the finish portion.
11. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of grooves has a substantially vertical orientation.
12. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of grooves is tapered, having a first inner width and a second outer width that is greater than the first inner width.
13. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of a plurality of grooves has a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces, and wherein at least one of the side surfaces is oriented at a first angle with respect to the bottom surface when viewed in transverse cross-section, the first angle being substantially within a range of about 30° to about 60°.
14. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 13 , wherein the first angle is substantially within a range of about 35° to about 55°.
15. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 14 , wherein the first angle is substantially within a range of about 40° to about 50°.
16. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 10 , wherein no groove is positioned on either of the short sides.
17. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 10 , wherein a first plurality of grooves is defined in the outer surface of the finish portion on a first of the long sides, and a second plurality of grooves is defined in the outer surface of the finish portion on a second of the long sides.
18. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 17 , wherein the first plurality of grooves comprises at least three grooves, and second plurality of grooves comprises at least three grooves.
19. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of grooves are defined on a long side of the finish portion, the long side having a first width, each of the grooves having a bottom surface that has a maximum width when viewed in transverse cross-section, and wherein a ratio of a sum of the maximum widths of the grooves to the first width is substantially within a range of about 0.1 to about 0.4.
20. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 19 , wherein the ratio is substantially within a range of about 0.15 to about 0.35.
21. An extrusion blow molded plastic container according to claim 20 , wherein the ratio is substantially within a range of about 0.2 to about 0.3.
22. The extrusion blow molded plastic container of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of grooves pass completely through the snap bead.