Lightweight plastic container and preform
View Patent ↗A plastic container includes a lower supporting base portion; a sidewall portion extending upwardly from the base portion; and a neck portion extending upwardly from the sidewall portion. The neck portion includes a tamper-evident formation, threads, and a dispensing opening at the top of the neck portion. In embodiments, a closure may be provided to form an assembly. In an embodiment, the weight of the neck portion is 2.3 grams or less; a vertical distance from the lower surface of the tamper-evident formation to a top of the dispensing opening is 0.30 or less; and/or the container may be filled with a beverage. In embodiments, the volume of the container may be at least 500 ml. A preform and method for making a container are also disclosed.
1. A container assembly comprising:
(i) a plastic blow molded container comprising:
a lower supporting base portion;
a sidewall portion extending upwardly from the base portion; and
a neck portion extending upwardly from the sidewall portion, the neck portion including a dispensing opening positioned at a top of the neck portion, threads positioned below the dispensing opening, and a radially extending tamper-evident formation positioned below the threads, the tamper-evident formation having a lower surface; and
(ii) a closure configured to receive the threads;
wherein the container is formed of a material comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET); a weight of the neck portion is 2.3 grams or less; a combined weight of the lower supporting base portion, the sidewall portion and the neck portion is 10 grams or less; a vertical distance from the lower surface of the tamper evident formation to a top of the dispensing opening is 0.30 inches or less; a ratio of a height of a center of gravity of the container to container height is less than 0.57; a volume of the container is at least 500 ml when the container is filled with a beverage; and an inner diameter of the dispensing opening is at least 22 mm.
2. The container assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a support flange.
3. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the tamper-evident formation comprises a bead.
4. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the tamper-evident formation is discontinuous.
5. The container assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a covering positioned over the dispensing opening as a means for indicating tampering.
6. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the threads comprise multiple-lead threads.
7. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the container is transparent.
8. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the container is formed of a material that is bi-axially oriented.
9. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the container is formed of a material comprising recycled material.
10. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the sidewall portion includes strengthening ribs.
11. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the sidewall portion is cylindrical.
12. The container assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the tamper-evident formation is vertically spaced from the threads.
13. A container assembly comprising:
(i) a plastic blow molded container comprising:
a base portion;
a sidewall portion; and
a neck portion; the neck portion including threads and a radially extending tamper-evident formation;
(ii) a closure configured to receive the threads;
wherein the container is formed of a material comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET); a vertical distance from a lower surface of the tamper-evident formation to a top of the neck portion is 0.30 inches or less; a weight of the neck portion is 2.3 grams or less; a combined weight of the base portion, the sidewall portion and the neck portion is 11 grams or less; and the container is filled with a beverage.
14. The container assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising a support flange.
15. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the tamper-evident formation comprises a bead.
16. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the tamper-evident formation is discontinuous.
17. The container assembly according to claim 13 further comprising a covering positioned over the dispensing opening as a means for indicating tampering.
18. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein a ratio of a height of a center of gravity of the container to container height is less than 0.57.
19. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the threads comprise multiple-lead threads.
20. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein a combined weight of the neck portion, the sidewall portion, and the base portion is 10 grams or less.
21. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein a volume of the container is at least 500 ml.
22. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the container is transparent.
23. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the container is formed of a material that is bi-axially oriented.
24. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the container is formed of a material comprising recycled material.
25. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the sidewall portion includes strengthening ribs.
26. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the sidewall portion is cylindrical.
27. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the tamper-evident formation is vertically spaced from the threads.
28. The container assembly according to claim 13 , wherein an inner diameter of the dispensing opening is at least 22 mm.
29. A container assembly comprising:
(i) a plastic blow molded container comprising:
a base portion;
a sidewall portion; and
a neck portion; the neck portion including threads and a radially extending tamper-evident formation;
(ii) a closure configured to receive the threads;
wherein the container is formed of a material comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET); a vertical distance from a lower surface of the tamper-evident formation to a top of the neck portion is 0.30 inches or less; a weight of the neck portion is 2.3 grams or less; a combined weight of the neck portion, the sidewall portion, and the base portion is 10 grams or less; a volume of the container is at least 500 ml; an inner diameter of the dispensing opening is at least 22 mm; and the container is filled with a beverage.
30. A container assembly comprising:
(i) a plastic blow molded container comprising:
a lower supporting base portion;
a sidewall portion extending upwardly from the base portion; and
a neck portion extending upwardly from the sidewall portion, the neck portion including a dispensing opening positioned at a top of the neck portion, threads positioned below the dispensing opening, and a radially extending tamper-evident formation positioned below the threads, the tamper-evident formation having a lower surface; and
(ii) a closure configured to receive the threads;
wherein the container is formed of a material comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET); the threads comprise multiple-lead threads; the tamper-evident formation is vertically spaced from the threads; the sidewall portion is cylindrical and includes strengthening ribs; a weight of the neck portion is 2.3 grams or less; a combined weight of the lower supporting base portion, the sidewall portion and the neck portion is 10 grams or less; a vertical distance from the lower surface of the tamper evident formation to a top of the dispensing opening is 0.30 inches or less; a volume of the container is at least 500 ml; the container is filled with a beverage; and an inner diameter of the dispensing opening is at least 22 mm.