Bottle

1. A bottle comprising:

a neck portion having an opening configured to permit filling and emptying of the bottle;

a shoulder portion connected to a lower end of the neck portion;

a sidewall connected to a lower end of the shoulder portion and extending vertically downward from the shoulder portion; and

a base connected to a lower end of the sidewall and forming a bottom surface of the bottle,

wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of raised, annular ribs extending around a periphery of the sidewall, each of the annular ribs comprising a plurality of sequential enlarged portions interconnected by bridges, each of the enlarged portions having a vertical width that is greater than a vertical width of each of the bridges, each of the enlarged portions having a horizontal length that is greater than the horizontal length of each of the bridges, each of the bridges formed by opposing “U” shapes in top and bottom edges of the annular ribs, the transition from the enlarged portion to the bridge is substantially at a right angle,

wherein a first rib of the plurality of ribs is staggered in relation to at least one immediately adjacent second rib of the plurality of ribs, such that the enlarged portions of the first rib are vertically offset from the enlarged portions of the second rib, and the bridges of the first rib are vertically offset from the bridges of the second rib,

wherein each of the enlarged portions of the ribs is defined by a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edges of the enlarged portions of the second rib define a first plane and the bottom edges of the enlarged portions of the first rib define a second plane,

wherein the entire bottom edge of the first rib is located above the first plane and the entire top edge of the second rib is located below the second plane, and

wherein the sidewall further comprises recessed lands separating adjacent annular ribs and located between the top and bottom edges of the adjacent annular ribs, wherein the enlarged portions and the bridges of each of the annular ribs form a raised surface with respect to the recessed lands.

2. The bottle of claim 1 , wherein all of the plurality of ribs are arranged in an alternating, staggered arrangement, such that the enlarged portions and the bridges of each rib are vertically offset from the enlarged portions and the bridges of each adjacent rib.

3. The bottle of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of ribs form a brick-like pattern.

4. The bottle of claim 1 , wherein the enlarged portions of the ribs are generally rectangular in shape.

5. The bottle of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall of the bottle has a generally square cross-section and is formed by four generally flat panels connected by four rounded corners.

6. The bottle of claim 5 , wherein a thickness of each of the panels is between 0.01 and 0.02 inches, and wherein the bottle is configured such that when a normal force less than 1.65 lbf is applied to a center of a surface of at least one of the panels, the surface is not displaced at least ¼ of an inch toward a longitudinal axis of the container.

7. The bottle of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of ribs are staggered, such that each rib of a first group of the ribs including the first rib has one of the enlarged portions vertically aligned with each of the four corners, and each rib of a second group of the ribs including the second rib has one of the bridges vertically aligned with each of the four corners, and wherein the first group of ribs and the second group of ribs are arranged in an alternating arrangement.

8. The bottle of claim 5 , wherein all of the plurality of ribs are arranged in an alternating, staggered arrangement, such that the plurality of ribs form an alternating pattern at each of the four corners where the enlarged portions and the bridges of alternating ribs are vertically aligned with each respective corner.

9. The bottle of claim 1 , wherein the enlarged portions of the first rib are vertically centered in relation to the bridges of the second rib and the enlarged portions of the second rib are vertically centered in relation to the bridges of the first rib.

10. The bottle of claim 9 , wherein all of the plurality of ribs are arranged in an alternating, staggered arrangement, such that the enlarged portions and the bridges of each rib are vertically centered in relation to the bridges and the enlarged portions, respectively, of each adjacent rib.

11. The bottle of claim 1 , wherein the bottle is manufactured using a blow molding process, from a material that includes at least some recycled PET, and is capable of exhibiting a dimensional stability of less than 1% dimensional change during a WAB steam sterilization process that reaches temperatures in the range of 75-85° C.

12. A bottle comprising:

a base comprising a lowermost surface of the bottle;

an opening proximate a top of the bottle, spaced vertically from the base, configured to permit filling and emptying of the bottle; and

a sidewall extending vertically upward at least a portion of a vertical distance from the base to the opening, the sidewall comprising four generally flat panel sections connected by four rounded corners;

wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of raised, annular ribs extending around a periphery of the sidewall, each of the annular ribs comprising a plurality of sequential enlarged portions interconnected by bridges, each of the enlarged portions having a vertical width that is greater than a vertical width of each of the bridges, each of the enlarged portions having a horizontal length that is greater than the horizontal length of each of the bridges, each of the bridges formed by opposing “U” shapes in top and bottom edges of the annular ribs, and

wherein a first rib of the plurality of ribs is staggered in relation to at least one adjacent second rib of the plurality of ribs, such that the enlarged portions of the first rib are vertically centered in relation to the bridges of the second rib and the enlarged portions of the second rib are vertically centered in relation to the bridges of the first rib, and such that first rib has one of the enlarged portions vertically aligned with each of the four corners and the second rib has one of the bridges vertically aligned with each of the four corners,

wherein each of the ribs is defined by a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the entire bottom edge of the first rib is located above the entire top edge of the second rib,

wherein the sidewall further comprises recessed lands separating adjacent annular ribs and located between the top and bottom edges of the adjacent annular ribs, wherein the enlarged portions and the bridges of each of the annular ribs form a raised surface with respect to the recessed lands, and

wherein the transition from the enlarged portion to the bridge is substantially at a right angle.

13. The bottle of claim 12 , wherein all of the plurality of ribs are arranged in an alternating, staggered arrangement, such that the enlarged portions and the bridges of each rib are vertically offset from the enlarged portions and the bridges of each adjacent rib to form a bricklike pattern.

14. The bottle of claim 12 , wherein the enlarged portions of the ribs are generally rectangular in shape.

15. The bottle of claim 12 , wherein all of the plurality of ribs are arranged in an alternating, staggered arrangement, such that the enlarged portions and the bridges of each rib are vertically centered in relation to the bridges and the enlarged portions, respectively, of each adjacent rib, and such that the plurality of ribs form an alternating pattern at each of the four corners where the enlarged portions and the bridges of alternating ribs are vertically aligned with each respective corner.

16. The bottle of claim 12 , wherein the bottle is manufactured using a blow molding process, from a material that includes at least some recycled PET, and is capable of exhibiting a dimensional stability of less than 1% dimensional change during a WAB steam sterilization process that reaches temperatures in the range of 75-85° C.

17. A bottle comprising:

a neck portion having an opening configured to permit filling and emptying of the bottle;

a shoulder portion connected to a lower end of the neck portion, the shoulder portion having a tapered configuration that tapers from a narrower top end with a generally circular cross-sectional shape to a wider bottom end with a generally square cross-sectional shape;

a sidewall connected to the lower end of the shoulder portion and extending vertically downward from the shoulder portion, the sidewall having a generally square cross-sectional shape comprising four generally flat panel sections connected by four rounded corners; and

a base connected to a lower end of the sidewall and forming a bottom surface of the bottle,

wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of raised, annular ribs extending around a periphery of the sidewall, each of the annular ribs comprising a plurality of sequential, generally rectangular enlarged portions interconnected by bridges, each of the enlarged portions having a vertical width that is greater than a vertical width of each of the bridges, each of the enlarged portions having a horizontal length that is greater than the horizontal length of each of the bridges, each of the bridges formed by opposing “U” shapes in top and bottom edges of the annular ribs, wherein each of the enlarged portions of the ribs is defined by a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edges of the enlarged portions of the second rib define a first plane and the bottom edges of the enlarged portions of the first rib define a second plane, wherein the entire bottom edge of the first rib is located above the first plane and the entire top edge of the second rib is located below the second plane, wherein the first rib and the second rib are immediately adjacent, wherein the enlarged portions and the bridges of each of the annular ribs form a raised surface with respect to recessed lands disposed between adjacent ribs, and

wherein all of the plurality of ribs are arranged in an alternating, staggered arrangement, such that the enlarged portions and the bridges of each rib are vertically centered in relation to the bridges and the enlarged portions, respectively, of each adjacent rib, and such that the plurality of ribs form an alternating pattern at each of the four corners where the enlarged portions and the bridges of alternating ribs are vertically aligned with each respective corner.

18. The bottle of claim 17 , wherein the bottle is manufactured using a blow molding process, from a material that includes at least some recycled PET, and is capable of exhibiting a dimensional stability of less than 1% dimensional change during a WAB steam sterilization process that reaches temperatures in the range of 75-85° C.

19. A plastic bottle comprising:

a top portion;

a body comprising a plurality of panels located below the top portion;

a base located below the body; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of panels further comprises a first brick portion, a second brick portion and a third brick portion, and further wherein a first end of the first brick portion and a second end of the second brick portion are located proximate to each other, and a center portion of a top edge of the third brick portion is located below the first and second brick portions and proximate to the first end of the first brick portion and the second end of the second brick portions are located entirely above the top edge of the third brick portion,

wherein the first and second brick portions and the bridge are part of a first continuous rib extending around the bottle, and the third brick portion is part of a second continuous rib extending around the bottle, wherein the first continuous rib is separated from the second continuous rib by lands, and wherein the first continuous rib and the second continuous rib each further comprises a plurality of brick portions connected by a plurality of bridges, the brick portions having a greater vertical width than the bridges, wherein the bridges of the first continuous rib include a first bridge extending between the first end of the first brick portion and the second end of the second brick portion,

wherein each of the brick portions has a horizontal length that is greater than the horizontal length of each of the bridges, each of the bridges formed by opposing “U” shapes in top and bottom edges of the annular ribs, and

wherein transitions from the brick portions to the bridges are substantially at right angles.

20. The container of claim 19 , wherein the lands are recessed with respect to the first and second ribs.

21. The container of claim 19 , wherein the first and second ribs are recessed with respect to the lands.