Collapsible and reboundable blow-molded bottle
A blow-molded bottle including a top portion, a bottom portion and a collapsible portion. The collapsible portion further includes opposing panels and opposing sidewalls, the opposing panels having a contoured shape defined by a compound curvature. The compound curvature is defined by a convex longitudinally extending curvature and a concave laterally extending curvature extending between the opposing sidewalls. Application of a force to the opposing panels causes the opposing panels to collapse from an uncollapsed state to a collapsed state, and non-application of the force to the opposing panels returns the opposing panels to the uncollapsed state.
1 . A blow-molded bottle comprising:
a top portion;
a bottom portion; and,
a collapsible portion disposed between the top portion and the bottom portion; the top portion, bottom portion and collapsible portion define a unitary bottle body; the collapsible portion, in an uncollapsed state, further comprising:
opposing panels and opposing sidewalls forming a continuous wall of the collapsible portion, wherein each of the opposing panels having a contoured shape defined by a compound curvature and each of the sidewalls having a convex shape;
wherein the opposing panels comprise a first end and a second end, and wherein a middle section of the collapsible portion is between the first end and the second end, and wherein at the middle section of the collapsible portion a distance between the panels is at a minimum value and a distance between the sidewalls is at a maximum value.
2 . The bottle of claim 1 , wherein the compound curvature is defined by a longitudinally extending curvature extending from the first end to the second end of the opposing panels, the first end adjacent to the top portion and the second end adjacent to the bottom portion, and a laterally extending curvature extending between the opposing sidewalls.
3 . The bottle of claim 2 , wherein the laterally extending curvature is convex, and the longitudinally extending curvature is concave.
4 . The bottle of claim 3 , wherein a top section of the collapsible portion is at the first end, and a bottom section is at the second end.
5 . The bottle of claim 4 , wherein each of the opposing panels have a panel radius, each of the sidewalls have a sidewall radius, and wherein the collapsible portion has a transition radius between the panel radius and the sidewall radius.
6 . The bottle of claim 5 , wherein a value of the panel radius varies along the collapsible portion between the first end and the second end, wherein a value of the sidewall radius varies along the collapsible portion between the first end and the second end, and wherein a value of the transition radius varies along the collapsible portion between the first end and the second end.
7 . The bottle of claim 6 , wherein at the middle section of the collapsible portion the panel radius is at a maximum value, the sidewall radius is at a minimum value and the transition radius is at a maximum value such that the transition radius forms a straight line.
8 . The bottle of claim 6 , wherein at the top section of the collapsible portion the panel radius is at a minimum value, the sidewall radius is at a maximum value, and the transition radius is at a minimum.
9 . The bottle of claim 6 , wherein at the bottom section of the collapsible portion the panel radius is at a minimum value, the sidewall radius is at a maximum value, and the transition radius is at a minimum.
10 . The bottle of claim 6 , wherein the top section and the middle section are symmetrical, and wherein at the top section and bottom section, the panel radius is at a minimum value, the sidewall radius is at a maximum value, and the transition radius is at a minimum.
11 . The bottle of claim 1 , wherein the middle section of the collapsible portion is equidistant between the first end and the second end.
12 . The bottle of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the panels varies along the collapsible portion between the first end and the second end, and wherein the distance between the sidewalls varies along the collapsible portion between the first end and the second end.
13 . The bottle of claim 12 , wherein at the top section of the collapsible portion the distance between the panels is at a maximum value and the distance between the sidewalls is at a minimum value.
14 . The bottle of claim 12 , wherein at the bottom section of the collapsible portion the distance between the panels is at a maximum value and the distance between the sidewalls is at a minimum value.
15 . The bottle of claim 12 , wherein the top section and the middle section are symmetrical, and wherein at the top section and bottom section, the distance between the panels is at a maximum value and the distance between the sidewalls is at a minimum value.
16 . The bottle of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the value of the distance between the panels at the top section of the collapsible portion to the value of the distance between the panels at the middle section of the collapsible portion is in the range of 0.75 to 0.95, and wherein a ratio of the value of the distance between the sidewalls at the top section of the collapsible portion to the value of the distance between the sidewalls at the middle section of the collapsible portion is in the range of 0.85 to 0.95.
17 . The bottle of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the value of the distance between the panels at the bottom section of the collapsible portion to the value of the distance between the panels at the middle section of the collapsible portion is in the range of 0.85 to 0.95, and wherein a ratio of the value of the distance between the sidewalls at the bottom section of the collapsible portion to the value of the distance between the sidewalls at the middle section of the collapsible portion is in the range of 0.85 to 0.95.
18 . The bottle of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the distance between the panels value to the distance between the sidewalls value at the top section of the collapsible portion is in the range of 0.55 to 0.65.
19 . The bottle of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the distance between the panels value to the distance between the sidewalls value at the bottom section of the collapsible portion is in the range of 0.35 to 0.45.
20 . The bottle of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the distance between the panels value to the distance between the sidewalls value at the middle section of the collapsible portion is in the range of 0.55 to 0.65.
21 . The bottle of claim 2 , wherein application of a force to the opposing panels causes the opposing panels to collapse from an uncollapsed state to a collapsed state.
22 . The bottle of claim 21 , wherein non-application of the force to the opposing panels returns the opposing panels to the uncollapsed state.
23 . The bottle of claim 2 , wherein the bottom portion is collapsible and reboundable.
24 . The bottle of claim 23 , wherein the bottom portion has an ovalized base section having a dome shape.
25 . The bottle of claim 2 , wherein the bottom portion includes a flat base and a convexly rounded section between the flat base and the collapsible portion.
26 . The bottle of claim 25 , wherein the flat base has semi-oval protrusions having a width, the protrusions separated by lateral creases.
27 . The bottle of claim 26 , wherein the semi-oval protrusions are separated by a concave domed surface.
28 . The bottle of claim 27 , wherein application of force collapses and folds the concave domed surface at a midline of the concave domed surface.
29 . The bottle of claim 28 , wherein the bottom portion springs back upon non- application of the force.
30 . The bottle of claim 2 , wherein the bottle has an ovalized shape along a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the bottle.
31 . A blow-molded bottle comprising:
a top portion;
a bottom portion; and,
a collapsible portion disposed between the top portion and the bottom portion; the top portion, bottom portion and collapsible portion define a unitary bottle body; the collapsible portion further comprising:
opposing panels and opposing sidewalls forming a continuous wall of the collapsible portion, the opposing panels being separated by a panel distance, and the sidewalls being separated by a sidewall distance; wherein each of the opposing panels having a contoured shape defined by a compound curvature and the sidewalls having a convex shape;
wherein the opposing panels collapse when a force is applied to the opposing panels and the opposing panels elastically rebound upon non-application of the force.
32 . The bottle of claim 31 , wherein each of the opposing panels have a contoured shape defined by a compound curvature.
33 . The bottle of claim 32 , wherein the compound curvature is defined by a longitudinally extending curvature extending from a first end to a second end of the opposing panels and a laterally extending curvature extending between the opposing sidewalls.
34 . The bottle of claim 33 , wherein the laterally extending curvature is convex, and the longitudinally extending curvature is concave.
35 . The bottle of claim 34 , wherein application of the force to the opposing panels flattens the longitudinally extending curvature and the laterally extending curve such that the compound curvature stores potential energy configured to rebound the opposing panels to an uncollapsed state after non-application of force.
36 . The bottle of claim 34 , wherein a middle section of the collapsible portion is between the first end and second end, and wherein at the middle section of the collapsible portion a distance between the panels is at a minimum value and a distance between the sidewalls is at a maximum value.